


Strangers

by Faolan_Orion



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crossing Timelines, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, Ezio is very in the closet, Homophobic Language, Humor, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Romance, Smut, reupload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:34:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 40,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26172043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faolan_Orion/pseuds/Faolan_Orion
Summary: After using the Apple of Eden, Ezio is accidentally sent into a world where him and Leonardo are lovers.[Re-upload] An incredible work by a fantastic writer who sadly left the platform and wishes to remain anonymous. Fortunately, with their permission, they let me share their work.
Relationships: Ezio Auditore da Firenze/Leonardo da Vinci
Comments: 5
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to either history or Ubisoft.  
> This is an EzioLeo fic. Not an adventure story about the Apple of Eden.

"And what about that blinding white light? Like the last time?" Ezio asked, cautiously eying the deceptively harmless article glowing in Leonardo's hand.

"Well it seemed that your touch activated it," Leonardo replied, running his fingers over the  
markings from which the light seemed to emanate.

"And yet you were the one person who was able to comprehend all of its knowledge, the only one who wasn't affected by it," Ezio replied, still unwilling to touch the Piece of Eden.

"Hhnn.." Leonardo chuckled softly before adding, "If only amico mio. I was able to understand some of it. But all its knowledge… I cannot even tell what it is made of yet. Why it glows… "

"At least you weren't blinded by it," Ezio sighed, not understanding what all of this meant. His purpose had been simple. Revenge. Avenging his family. Now he found himself surrounded by a myriad of mysteries. And no answers. He was already fed up from having to explain to the other assassins that he was not some fabled prophet. How could he be? The whole idea seemed just bizzare. And now he had to deal with this glowing ball that looked like it was from a completely  
different world that was capable of doing who knows what.

"When are you leaving for Forli?" Ezio could see the sadness in his friend's eyes. Leonardo would have loved to study the Apple. He knew it. He would have wanted that too. But right now, keeping the article safe was what mattered the most.

"The following week. As soon as we receive a response from Caterina Sforza," Ezio replied.

"Si. I'm sure you can't wait for the contessa's reply," Leonardo suggested slyly as he patted Ezio's back.

"Hmm… I can't wait to do a lot of things with Caterina Sforza." Ezio grinned back unashamed. Not that he had any reason to act otherwise, seeing as how Leonardo was his best friend. The one person who had stood by him through it all. The good and the bad.

"I have no doubts in my mind about the things you speak of," Leonardo replied back unsurprised with his best friend's reaction.

Trying to change the topic from his future sexual escapades Ezio offered, "Perhaps once Rodrigo has been taken care of, you can study it."

Leonardo started beaming almost instantly, his curiosity of the mysterious artifact apparent in his expressions. "Si. At the very least we should know what it is capable of. If it is even safe to possess. The extent of damage it is capable of doing to the one who tries to protect it."

"I know. But like you said, it can never go into the wrong hands." Ezio agreed with his friend, and right now keeping it here might lead to just that. Monteriggioni isn't safe enough.

"Si. Si. I know." Leonardo nodded even though disappointment was apparent in his tone and  
expression.

"So.. Have you decided to take up on zio's offer?" Ezio asked, trying to change the topic.

"About working in Monteriggioni?" At Ezio's nod of affirmation Leonardo continued, "Si. Venezia is in turmoil right now. Rodrigo is sparing no one in his search for this." He gestured towards the article in his hand to make his point.

"Plus the offer isn't bad." Leonardo smiled.

"Si. We could use some fortifications. Now that the Creed is beginning to steadily grow once again. Our people uniting." Ezio smiled to himself. With Leonardo working here as the engineer, it wouldn't be long until Monteriggioni emerges as the head of the Assassin power in Italia.

"I know. And I already have a few things in mind. But first, I would like to familiarise myself with your great-great-grandfather's schematics of the city," Leonardo explained, eyes once again watching the artifact in his hand.

Sighing, trying to make Leonardo feel better for not getting to analyse the artifact, Ezio thought of an offer. "If you wish you may study the Apple for the week. Until I leave for Forli. It wouldn't harm to have a little knowledge about the thing before having to travel with it."

"Are you sure?" Leonardo finally met Ezio's gaze, torn between feeling ecstatic and apprehensive."The others won't mind?"

"Why would they? We're merely studying it." Ezio shrugged, easing some of his friend's worry away.

"Alright." Leonardo smiled back, all too eager to agree.

"But I would need you as well. If I want to study it. You are afterall the one that it reacts to," Leonardo added, placing the Apple on the desk before going to retrieve a notebook wherein to record his observations along with a piece of charcoal.

"I'm not so sure about that, Leo. The last time… my head was throbbing for nearly an hour," Ezio replied, wanting to leave Leonardo in his newly assigned room at the Villa to let him work with that thing in peace. He had no qualms about leaving Leonardo alone with the Piece, having no doubt regarding his best friend's loyalty. But having to witness what he saw at Leonardo's bottega that day once again? No, he had no intention of going through that again.

"Come on. You can avert your eyes once it's activated. Just five minutes. I swear, Ezio," Leonardo coaxed.

"I don't know, Leo," Ezio said, not wanting to tamper with the artifact.

"Ezio!! How many times have I helped you with a bella donna that you liked. Accompanied you to taverns when I had portraits to finish. Patrons biting my head off. Come on," Leonardo started, determined to use every instance of unwanted actions that Ezio had made him go through to guilt  
his friend into agreeing.

"Two minutes. And then I'll be stopping it. I don't want you to grow addicted to it either," Ezio warned, despite the warm smile on his face.

"Si. Si. And after this…. I'll do all my studies without needing to activate it. Just physical studies." Leonardo nodded eagerly. Even though Ezio had no doubt that Leonardo was probably already trying to figure out ways to activate it himself.

"Are you ready?" Ezio asked, slowly hovering his hand over the artifact when Leonardo nodded.

Just like before, a bright light began to emanate from the grooves as soon as his hand touched the artifact, blinding all of Ezio's senses, not just his eyes. The light only strengthened in its intensity, making Ezio's grip on it tighter. He already had his other hand shielding his eyes, having  
anticipated this. Slowly though, unlike the last time, the room seemed to began to vibrate. He couldn't tell for sure since his eyes weren't capable of seeing anything. But there was definitely movement around him. Leonardo, he realised was frozen, glowing golden in the light. Still blissfully unaffected, just like the previous time, watching in awe rather than averting his eyes. But his friend wasn't moving.

This was wrong. Everything was wrong. He could sense it. Trying to remedy the situation, he let go of the artifact from his hands, in hopes of disabling it. To his disappointment though, everything went black. The stark contrast making his head hurt, his eyes watering as the darkness seemed to swallow him whole. There was nothing. Not even his own body, just his inner being. Faintly, he heard the sound of something being dropped, a distant 'thump' of metal hitting the floor. And after that… after that… Nothing.

"Ezio!!! Ezio!!" He heard Leonardo's faint noise bring him back, the barest of sensations apparent  
in his body.

"Ugghhh…." Ezio grimaced. At least he could feel himself now.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. Just the bare minimum, not wanting the light to flood his senses once again. He didn't need to worry about it though, as Leonardo hovering over him blocked most of the harsh light with his shadow, sitting right in front of him on his knees with a terrified expression.

"Oh. Grazie a Dio!!! You're safe, caro!!" Caro?? Ezio furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. His  
head was throbbing. His body felt heavy. His throat was dry, almost as if it had congealed. He felt claustrophobic. Leonardo felt like he was too close to him right now. Why the fuck did he agree to doing this?

It didn't stay the same for long though, the darkness returned, but this time for a completely  
different reason as Leonardo leaned down against him and he felt his best friend's lips press softly onto his own.

All Ezio could do was press his lips tight in resistance, thrashing himself as he found Leonardo's arms surround him, his hands coming up around his face to cradle him as he was kissed with ever increasing intensity.

Once he gathered enough of his mind to know what was happening, he firmly pushed Leonardo away with all his might, which to be honest was not nearly as much as it usually was since he was still throbbing with pain. When Leonardo flinched back, staring at him with a hurt look in his eyes, Ezio couldn't help but begin cursing at his friend, fuming with anger.

"Che cazzo, Leo!!!" Ezio barked out, unaware of why his friend would ever even try such a thing. Especially after what happened with the Piece of Eden. "What the fuck is even wrong with you? Have you lost your fucking mind when you saw into that thing?" Ezio kept muttering as he slowly got up from the floor.

Leonardo frowned at the words. But didn't try to reply, observing him curiously instead. When he finally began to stand back on his legs, Ezio felt himself going weak in the knees. He felt nauseated. Like his stomach would empty itself from his mouth any moment now. His entire body felt rigid and yet somehow fluid at the same time, burning with pain, like someone had taken him apart piece by piece and then stitched him back together, doing a very poor job.

Instantly, he found Leonardo rush back to his aid. "Ezio!! Are you alright??"

Not wanting for Leonardo to touch him again, or do anything else that was inappropriate he rudely pushed his best friend away as he grimaced in pain. His mind was spinning, his entire body weighed a ton. He just wanted to be alone for a while. Until everything stopped. Until he felt normal again. Apparently he had been a bit too harsh with his best friend in his daze of pain because Leonardo was thrown back a good few feet away from him, onto the desk.

Before he could apologise to his best friend though, he heard a sharp gasp from his friend in front of him. He was swiftly turned around by someone. In a foggy haze, he saw a familiar face. And then there wasn't anything left to see as a sharp fist landed on his jaw and he felt darkness envelop  
himself again as he fainted.

The next time he felt himself waking up again he felt rather than heard noises beside himself. They were almost hushed. He felt better now. Much better than the last time he had woken up.

"How would I know? I found him five minutes before you came in," someone hissed. No not  
someone. He knew that voice, it was Leonardo, trying to keep his voice down.

"I don't trust him one bit. Not after what he did to you, Leo," another familiar voice said with concern. If he didn't know any better then he would have said that it sounded like himself.

Where the fuck was he anyway? At least the surface beneath him wasn't hard anymore. It felt soft. Like a bed. He tried to stir himself up, slowly opening his eyes again for the second time today after having had fainted. He found out though that despite the fact that his eyes were wide open, he couldn't move his hands. His hands were firmly… were those cuffs? Yes. His hands were firmly tied to the headboard with leather cuffs. Like ones he'd seen in a bordello.

Instantly Ezio thrashed, looking around to find Leonardo once again. But this time, he wasn't alone. No. This can't be… beside Leonardo, he saw... himself?

Instinctively, he found himself shoot up with fear. He flicked his wrists, trying to release his hidden blades as the assassin in him woke up. To his astonishment, however, there was no sound. No satisfying noise of metal gliding when his hidden blades are revealed. His bracers… they were  
missing.

"No you don't have those." Ezio heard his own voice. Flicking his gaze up from his bare wrist, he met his double's eyes, shining with challenge.

Looking around frantically, he saw that his entire robe was missing. His ammunition pouches, dagger, sword, belt, throwing knives everything. All he had on himself were his shirt and breeches.

Even his boots were off, which meant that he didn't have his hidden knife either. Did he even have them on. The last he remembered, he had been in exactly these clothes when he went to Leonardo's room in the Villa. To discuss their plans with the Apple and ensure that his friend had settled in comfortably after the long journey. But he definitely had his hidden blades on, not to mention his  
boots. He never took his blades off. No matter what. And even those were missing. He must have been searched for weapons.

Yes. He remembered now. They had used the Apple. The bright light. And the pain. His head was spinning. And Leonardo had kissed him. And then someone punched him. His body was not stinging with pain now. There was still a dull throb. But nothing else. Nothing that worried him. Nothing physical that worried him at least. The image in front of him, however, was a whole different question.

Gulping down, he met the stares of the two familiar people standing before him, watching him suspiciously. Looking around, he realised where he was now. He had slept on this bed, used that cupboard, had previously slipped inside multiple times through the window that was currently closed. Which was wrong. That window was always left open for him. For him to come in  
whenever he wanted. There were also too many books, and easels, and wooden models and multiple other things that weren't usually there in this room.

The room was all too familiar, he had been here countless of times whenever he stayed in Venezia. He was in Leonardo's guestroom. The one that his best friend usually offered him whenever he needed a place to stay. The one that had practically become his own room over the years. And yet it was different. It wasn't his room. No.

When he looked in front of himself again, he felt that both the men before him were whispering among themselves. His double's eyes were locked up on him, but they were still talking. He didn't have to imagine what they might have been talking about, as they watched him with surprise  
matching his own.

He tried to slowly work his wrists out of the cuffs. But apparently that wasn't going to work. They were too tight, skillfully secured. Instead of freeing himself, he only made both his captors… captors? No that wasn't right. A friend? Yes. And another… himself? Instead he made both, Leonardo and his own double become more cautious to his restless actions.

He didn't want to speak. It didn't go too well the last time he did so. So he carefully analysed them. He didn't get much time to do that however, as the both of them began moving closer to him, walking towards the bed. He experimentally tried another hand at trying to free his wrists but it was to no avail. He shouldn't be afraid. One of them was Leonardo…. whom he had admittedly thrown and shouted at. But still, it was his best friend. Leonardo understood. He wouldn't hold that against him, surely. But the other one was himself…. an armed and deadly assassin. Yes, maybe he should be afraid.

His double was the one to reach him first, taking a chair before him as Leonardo joined them on another. But maintaining a good amount of distance between them.

His double was the first to speak, "Who the fuck are you and why do you look like me?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Who the fuck are you and why do you look like me?"

Ezio found himself staring at the man sitting in front of him with a strange mixture of awe and discomfort. They were remarkably similar. The same face, light stubble, dark hair tied back. Even their physique was identical. Height. Shape. It had to be the Apple's doing. It must be. Switching his sight, he stared at the two men before him. The both of them were blue.

"Are you alright?" Leonardo waved his hand in front of his eyes, removing Ezio from his rapture. "I think you may have hit him too hard," he said to the other Ezio.

"I thought he was attacking you. And if he really is me then he can handle it," his own voice but from a different mouth replied, looking not ashamed at all about his own actions.

"I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze," Ezio replied, staring at the two of them to see the responses.

"And who do you think I am?" the other Ezio shook his head mockingly. "Look, I do not know what kind of sorcery this is but…. You cannot be me. How?"

"I think it was the Apple. It brought me back to….. We're in Venezia, si?" Ezio questioned, looking around.

"Yes," Leonardo replied.

"The Apple?" his double furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Si. The Apple," Ezio replied, looking closely at both of their faces to see if they knew what he was talking about. He needed to find out just what these two knew. If this was all even real. Perhaps it was all a trick. A way for Rodrigo to find their location.

Both Leonardo and his double shared a look between them. They were unsure. Whether or not to speak, reveal information in front of him. But he needed to know what was going on in their heads. If he wanted to have any chance of setting things back up right, he'd have to deal with this other version of himself first.

"The Piece of Eden," Ezio carefully spoke, eyes catching their reactions as both of their eyes went wide with astonishment. Si. These two definitely knew of the artifact.

"Those are mere myths. Fables," his double replied. "There are no pieces of Eden. Just stories of the Creed."

Ezio turned his face towards Leonardo, to see what his friend had to add to this. Surely Leonardo remembered.

His finding of the Apple. The ship from Cyprus. The fight with Borgia. Their travel  
to Monteriggioni. Leonardo had to have remembered.

"What?" Leonardo questioned, nodding his head in confusion, unable to grasp what Ezio wanted him to say as he inched further back into the chair, trying to create more distance between them.

"You don't remember? We got the Apple. From the Spaniard. You studied it. Came with us to Monteriggioni on zio's request," Ezio replied with a look of hurt in his eyes.

"We didn't do anything of that sort. In fact we didn't do anything together," Leonardo replied with a pointed stare. "I have never met you before this morning."

"What are you talking about? He… I…. If we're both Ezio then I'm his… we must be the same." Ezio's voice lowered as he began muttering to himself, "But if you were an image of mine then why don't you remember? And why… why Venezia? We were in Monteriggioni."

"I have not been to Monteriggioni for the past six months," his double replied, leaning in closer to hear him properly because of his babbling.

"That cannot be right. You don't even believe the Apple exists, do you?" Ezio stared with a  
dumbfounded expression.

"The Codex mentions them. Si. But other than that we have no idea what you speak of," Leonardo replied.

And suddenly something clicked. They were in Venezia. No Apple. There was another version of him. In fact, si. If he stared closely he realised that this Ezio did look a little younger. Not much perhaps a year or two. In fact they would have been indistinguishable if it weren't for the absence of the Assassin's brand on the ring finger of his double's left hand.

"You haven't been inducted yet." He stared up, moving his gaze from the double's fingers to his face.

"Formally inducted. No. But I'm still an assassin. Zio has told me everything. Taught me everything. The Creed…. It isn't what it once was. There aren't many of us left. Rituals like that…. we don't have the means or the time for such things," his lookalike summarised.

Si. It all made sense now. He was sent back to his younger days. Somehow, someway.. the Apple must have accidentally transported him into the past.

"What year is it?" Ezio quickly muttered.

"What does it matter?" his double argued.

"Just… it's important." Ezio replied, needing to check his theory first before informing the two before him.

"1487. July 24th," Leonardo replied, understanding what his expression meant. "You know what this is? Don't you?"

"Si. Before I woke up in here. I was talking to you. In Monteriggioni. We were studying the Apple. And it was the 29th of June, 1488."

"So you're from our future….?" Leonardo replied, trying to make sense of this.

"This means that we get the Apple… the Spaniard. Leo I finally kill him," his double replied, looking at their best friend with a bright smile.

Before Leonardo could say anything though, Ezio spoke up, "No. You.. I did not kill him. He  
escaped."

"But you get the Apple nonetheless. All the stories. Altaïr's experiences. They must be all true  
caro." Leonardo turned around to look at his younger self's face.

"Si. I know. But if Rodrigo escapes…"

They started talking among themselves. Ignoring Ezio. And Ezio heard it again. Leonardo called the other Ezio caro. Even before. And the kiss.

"Wait. Why are you… Are you both?" Ezio looked at the two of them, staring at each of their faces before locking his eyes on their hands… they were holding each other's hands. Like… like lovers.

"What?" his double questioned.

"You're both… how can you…. Are you lovers?" Ezio had to control the disgust in his voice.

"Yes. So?" his double questioned with an air of comfort surrounding him. As if he didn't just accept the fact that they were sodomites.

"Why are you so shocked? If you're my future self then.."

The other Ezio was interrupted by Leonardo, "Your reaction… when I went over to you. And when I kissed you? Are we not together in the future?" He saw their grips unconsciously tighten on each other.

"In the future? We've never been together. I am not a fucking sodomite," Ezio snarled in response.

Instantly both the people before him changed their expressions. From understanding to tolerance and finally to anger.

"You should know that you're still bound here. Our prisoner. My future self or not if you ever try to harm Leonardo again or try to do anything to sabotage our relations I will not hesitate to kill you." Ezio saw as his double interlocked their fingers together in a silent gesture of assurance towards Leonardo while glaring at Ezio. He knew that glare. It was the one he used before killing a Templar. The one he used when someone threatened his family.

"I have no such intentions," Ezio replied with a glare of his own. "As for being your prisoner, you are my younger self. You have to keep me safe or else…"

"I don't think so." Surprisingly the words came from Leonardo's mouth, who had grown silent for a while now. And even more surprising was the fact that it wasn't a threat. The man was simply stating something that he thought to be true.

"You've never loved me, have you?" Leonardo questioned with curiosity rather than anger.

"You are my oldest friend. My very best friend. And I would die to protect you. But I have never felt such things for you. Mi dispiace," Ezio replied sincerely.

"He's not from the future," Leonardo stated, turning to his double again, uncaring of Ezio's words of apologies.

"What?" Ezio questioned with disbelief. What other explanation could there be?

Ignoring him again, Leonardo continued to talk with the other Ezio, "I mean he might be from the future. But he's not you. He can't be. He's never been you. He's…. I don't know how but he's from someplace else. But he's not you. He's not from our future."

"Hmm.." his double replied, thinking things through.

"Then what he says might not be true for us," the double replied.

"Si." Leonardo nodded in agreement.

Ezio couldn't help but agree. Despite things being similar, he noticed that many things were different. This room was never this messy. It almost felt like a storage space. There were scars on his double's arms that were absent from his own ones. There were absence of the scars on his double that adorned him. Leonardo was right. Just like with everything else. This wasn't his world.  
This was different.

The two in front of him were different as well. They were sodomites. Lovers of men. Neither him nor Leonardo was a sodomite. The very thought was disturbing. Such people were hanged for their devious desires. As they should be. For their crimes against nature.

"Can you untie me. I may not be you. But I still won't do anything to cause you harm. I'm still an ally," Ezio requested with a small smile of apology. He saw his double's eyes stop all movement. A golden hue running through them. He was using his sight on him. He did the same and was relieved to find that both of them were still blessedly blue before himself.

Leonardo stepped back while his double got up and walked towards him, untying the cuffs from his wrists.

"Thank you," Ezio replied solemnly as he stood up. Now that they were face to face, he could see how similar the two of them were. Almost like staring at your reflection in the water. Sure there were ripples but you can't deny that it is you who's staring back.

"So what now?" his double asked, taking a seat again while Leonardo preferred to stay standing, leaning his chest onto the back of his lover's chair as he stood behind the other Ezio.

"I need to go back. I don't belong here," Ezio said, sitting back down on the bed despite how cluttered it was.

"Si. I suppose we'd need this Apple again?" Leonardo questioned.

"I think so yes." Ezio nodded in confirmation.

"We don't have it. In fact I don't know whether it even exists here. There are stories sure but…..I'm sorry," his double replied, trying to not make him lose hope even though Ezio saw right through the attempt.

"It could be. A month ago I didn't believe in its existence either. Perhaps it's the same here. You did say that the Codex pages are here. The Apple should be present as well," Ezio explained, already trying to think of a way to get the artifact.

"If it is then you can go back. Do you know where it is right now?" Leonardo asked, no doubt trying to come up with a solution as well.

"Cyprus. But Rodrigo must have already found it by now. It's probably on a ship. Heading here in Venezia. At least that's how it happened for me. In my world," Ezio answered, trying to think if he had missed something.

"So we can't reach it," Leonardo concluded.

"We don't have to. It's coming to us," his double added with a smile.

"Hopefully," Ezio replied, his head still full of doubts.

"You might have been aware of the ship at least? When you killed Silvio Barbarigo?" Ezio asked curiously.

"What ship? Silvio refused to reveal anything. I assumed he was going to flee Venezia by that ship," his double replied, revealing another thing that was different here.

"It's alright. We still have time to find out," Leonardo interjected.

"But what until then? Do you have any plans of what you intend to do? Here, I mean," his double questioned curiously.

"No. I was supposed to head to Forli. To hide the Apple there," Ezio replied.

"So then you must know how to use this Apple." Ezio saw the same spark of curiosity in this Leonardo as the one he'd witnessed in his own best friend back in Monteriggioni.

"No. We didn't have much time. We had to ensure its safety first. You… Leonardo I mean, wanted to study it but with the Templars still searching for it, hiding it was the best option," Ezio explained.

"You said that it isn't until next year that the Piece of Eden arrives here. What are you going to do until then?" his double asked again.

"I don't know," Ezio replied.

"He can't go outside. Or at least here in Venezia," Leonardo replied to his double before turning to stare at him. "You would put Ezio in unnecessary danger."

"So what now? He's surely not going to be staying here," his double argued.

"Where else am I supposed to go? No one else can find out about this. Do you realise what would happen if people saw something like this? Two of the same people," Ezio replied in disbelief.

"Well leave Venezia then. I don't want you staying with us. Especially after how you behaved earlier," the other contradicted.

"Look I didn't know what was happening. I thought I had died. And then suddenly I find him trying to wake me up. And him kissing me. And I'm not a sodomite. I'm sorry Leo. I just..... I panicked. Mi dispiace molto," Ezio said, looking at both of them sincerely.

"We can't let him go anywhere else either. If he dies or somehow doesn't return. Plus who knows what else could happen. If someone else finds their way here as well. A templar perhaps. Also, why here? Why now, here with us caro? Perhaps there is a reason that made the Apple send him here. Him staying here is our best option. Until we have the Piece of Eden," Leonardo replied, getting a nod from his double.

"You won't interfere with anything. And you won't talk to anyone but the two of us. If word gets out we might never get the Apple to begin with, if people find out what it is capable of," his double replied and for the first time since being here Ezio found himself agreeing to his words.

"Si. I promise. Wait what?" he thought things through "I can't go an entire year without talking to no one but the two of you. At least let me go outside."

"No. Il Assassino is notorious enough as it is. Having two Ezio Auditores in here would only make things worse. And it's only a year. I can't have you tarnishing my reputation," his double replied.

"You can't be serious," Ezio groaned.

"I am," his double replied, not backing down.

"And why would I be tarnishing anything. I'm clearly a version of you. I might in fact prove to be helpful," Ezio argued back.

"Somehow I find that extremely hard to believe. Especially with how I saw you behave earlier with your supposed 'best friend'," his double replied sarcastically.

"I already told you I wasn't myself. Plus you have no right to judge my friendship with Leonardo." Ezio instinctively looked behind him towards his best friend for his help, before he realised he wasn't going to get any.

"You can run errands," Leonardo interrupted them both before the two could begin arguing again. "I mean if you want to stay here, you have to contribute."

"Leo..." his double whined.

"What? Let him socialise. It'll leave us with time to do other things. Much more exciting things," Leonardo almost whispered into his double's ears as he leaned down. Ezio couldn't hear what else was said. Frankly, he didn't want to.

His double smiled slyly at the suggestion. Ezio couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. How was he going to deal with staying here for a year? When he can't even control how disturbing this all felt to him. Him being with a man. And not only any man but Leonardo.. His best friend.

"As wonderful as it sounds, we'll still be able to do all that nonetheless. Him going out will only create problems. I know you're only insisting because you don't want to deal with him being here at all times," his double contradicted, turning his head around to look at Leonardo rather than him.

"Please. I'll go crazy. Either one of you could accompany me," Ezio pleaded, despite being the elder. Although he didn't think these two cared much about his age. He was only a year older afterall. Not even that, if he was being specific.

"It's fine with me." Leonardo shrugged his shoulders.

"We'll see about that later. But at least for now, for these first few days, you're not leaving," his double folded his arms with stubbornness.

"Alright," Leonardo replied, trying to end the topic on his part.

"And what of your assistants?" Ezio asked curiously. Leonardo's bottega is usually filled with young apprentice and assistants alike.

"My assistants? What do they have to do with this? They are none of your concern." Leonardo furrowed his eyebrows in part anger, part confusion.

"Well don't they live here? Or is that another thing that's different here," Ezio replied.

"They live in the opposite quarters. And only come in when I need them. When I work," Leonardo quickly shut him off.

"We'll need to clean a room for him to stay in," his double said to his lover.

"Hmm.." Leonardo nodded. "We'll clean this one up tomorrow. Tonight though you're going to have to adjust here as it is."

Ezio nodded. "Won't be a problem. This one was my room anyway. When I stayed in Venezia." Ezio smiled at his friend on instinct. Looking outside he saw that it was already dark. How long had he been unconscious?

"We'll leave you then," Leonardo replied without an expression before beginning to walk outside the door, presumably to his own room. Ezio couldn't help but feel bad at how cold Leonardo's behaviour felt towards him. It doesn't matter. This man is not his best friend anyway. His best friend is in Monteriggioni. In another time.

"You're me. So I can't help but say this - Don't do anything stupid," his double said before leaving him alone as well.

Despite having a thousand questions still coursing through his head, Ezio decided that he needed to rest. After all he had an entire year to find the answers.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Ezio woke up the next morning it was already noon, the sharp rays of the sun stinging him awake. It took him a few seconds of blinking and looking around in the dusty and cluttered room to realize where he was and the events that had occurred yesterday. He was in another world. A world which was different than his. And he had no way to go back. Yet. 

Waking up with fatigue, he heard his stomach growl with hunger. It had to have been at least a day since he'd last eaten. Back in Monteriggioni. As he went towards the door, he realized that he was not properly dressed. He was only in a white shirt and some brown breeches. He was still missing his boots. But the thing that made him feel naked was the fact that his wrists were bare. Except for when he slept or bathed at the privacy of his home, in Monteriggioni, he never took his hidden blades off. Never. In fact Ezio felt more at unease now than if he had actually been naked. 

Barefooted and hungry, he made his way downstairs to find his double and Leonardo sitting at the table, with their backs to him, softly speaking to each other. 

"Buongiorno," his double loudly greeted him without ever turning around. He should have expected it. He was an assassin after all, all senses sharp and ready for an attack. But it still made him feel uneasy. 

Leonardo had not registered him, and so turned around to look at his direction. "Buongiorno," he said as well. 

"Buongiorno," Ezio replied, walking around them to take a chair. The two were apparently having lunch, the food spread out before them. How long did he sleep for? 

Taking a piece of bread before dipping it in some olive oil, he began to focus on the food. 

"We thought you were going to sleep through the entire day," his double was the first to speak among the three. 

"I was tired," Ezio replied without looking up. Leonardo brought him a plate of his own along with a bowl of soup before taking back his seat. 

"Now that you're up, we should get to cleaning that room once we're done eating," Leonardo suggested. 

"Si." After a short pause of everyone continuing to eat, Ezio spoke up again, "Did you take my blades?" 

"Si. We didn't know who you were and so decided that it would be in our best interest to disarm you. I'll give them back. Don't worry," his double offered with a small friendly smile. 

"Look I know this is weird. All of this. But I truly do not mean any harm. In fact I just want to go home," Ezio replied apologetically. He knew that none of this was any of their fault. But this was something that all of them had to deal with anyway. 

"We know," Leonardo replied. 

"And we'll do our best to aid you. Don't worry about that. Just don't do anything that might create problems for us," his double added. 

"In fact I have sent a letter to Monteriggioni this morning. To inform zio about this ship from Cyprus. See if he can find anything about where it is right now. Or when it's due to arrive in Venezia. Like Leo said yesterday, things could turn out to be different here," his double explained. 

"Did you also mention me?" Ezio asked, hoping to get a negative answer. He didn't want to involve any more people into this mess until it was absolutely necessary. 

"I mentioned that we have a guest here that gave us the information. No use in confusing everyone unnecessarily. But I will tell him if your words prove to be true," his double replied before remembering something else. "I've also mentioned the Piece of Eden. My uncle is already very well read on such subjects. If this Apple does exist, then he'd be able to find out." 

"No that's alright. I wouldn't want you to lie to zio either," Ezio replied. 

"We were thinking that if there is no ship, then we should go by ourselves to search for it," Leonardo stated. 

"Si. That would work as well," Ezio replied nonchalantly. 

"So how did you become an assassin?" Ezio questioned his double as Leonardo got up to go to the kitchen. 

"What do you mean?" his double gave him a confused look. 

"There are obviously things here that are different from my home. I think it would be best for us to find out what those are. I can obviously see a few." Ezio turned his gaze towards the kitchen to silently nod towards Leonardo. 

"Well, my father was an assassin. He hid it from me and my sister. I came to find out about it when he was arrested for treason. I tried to save him. But was betrayed which led to him and my brothers being executed. I escaped Firenze with my mother and sister and we took shelter in Monteriggioni. Ever since I have been avenging my family," his double summarized, voice low and hurting despite having been living like this for over ten years now. 

"It was the same for me. Most of the things that I can tell are the same," Ezio replied. 

"Then it's a good thing. Greater chances for us to get the Apple back," Leonardo stated as he took a seat before them once again. 

By this point the two of them were done as well and so they cleared the table before the three walked upstairs to his room. 

"I'll give you some of my spare clothes once we're done here," his double said as they entered. Ezio simply nodded as a reply. 

"Where will we keep all this?" Leonardo asked his lover. 

"We'll have to manage everything into the storage room downstairs," his double replied. 

"Alright. Let's get some of the bigger things out in the hallway first and then we'll shift them downstairs," Leonardo proposed, getting an affirmative from both the Ezios in return. 

The first thing that they focused on were the easels Leonardo used for painting. Some of them were empty while some had a few, most probably unfinished, paintings. 

The two lovers carried the two empty easels while Ezio began to remove the paintings from the ones that weren't empty so as not to damage the portraits in them. 

"No don't...!!!" Leonardo shouted from behind him as Ezio began to lower the sheet from one of the portraits. He was too late however as the dusty and heavy cloth fell down the rest of the way because of its own weight. 

Ezio stared in awe at the scene before him. It was a picture of him naked, spread out on the bed. There was semen clinging to his hip, contrasting his tan skin. He was smiling lazily at the audience. A well fucked smile over his face, eyes glazed with pleasure. Hair loosely scattered over his shoulders while his right hand continued to caress his half hard member. His body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, his body captured perfectly from the dark hair covering his chest trailing down towards his member to the sculpted and chiseled muscles. Even the scars he had gathered over the years were proudly showcased, despite Ezio's own self conscious feelings about them. 

"I almost forgot about this one. Such a long time ago," his double's voice from behind him brought him back to reality, making him realise that he was not looking at himself but at another's body. The thought was enough to make him instantly turn around from the portrait in embarrassment while Leonardo walked towards it to hurriedly cover it back up. 

"I'm sorry. We forgot some of the things that were stored in here," Leonardo apologized. 

"You know what, it would be best if we clear out this room. Some of the things in here are private," the artist suggested. 

"You can wait downstairs. Until we're done here," his double added and Ezio could only nod in agreement, face still burning red from embarrassment even though the other two especially his double had no such shyness, grinning towards Leonardo with sparkling eyes. 

"Just tell me to come once you're done. Or if you need any help." Ezio didn't wait for a reply, hurriedly making his way out of the room and down the stairs. 

He took a seat in one of the two divans in Leonardo's studio, where he usually painted his models. 

Why was he this embarrassed? It's not his fault. It wasn't even his picture. And it wasn't like he hadn't seen himself naked before. Why the hell was he blushing then? This was such an unfamiliar feeling to him. Because when it came to sex, there were few things that Ezio shied away from. And why did he stare? He should have just averted his eyes at the first glance. Instead, he was gawking at the portrait like some ragazzo vergine. And even that didn't make sense because it was a portrait of himself not some fair and young maiden or a feisty donna. 

And now all he could think about was that painting. Like it had been etched into his mind. That painting must have been old. He must have been around twenty based on how young he looked in that. And Leonardo had seen him like this. How far back do these two go? They must have been lovers for a long time now. For Leonardo to have drawn such portraits of him. Of this other Ezio. 

All of this was so wrong. And these two didn't even look ashamed of themselves. Like they weren't fucking another man. And how did it all even work? Having sex with a man. Why would anybody want that instead of the feeling of sliding into the rich warmth of a beautiful woman? And yet the more he thought of it, the more it started to arouse him with curiosity among other things. 

He distinctly remembered himself being hard at the visual. In fact he was hard still. But why? Men weren't attractive. Of course he was attractive but not in this way. In a way that should sexually arouse him. But that smile on his face, and how unashamed he... the other Ezio looked. And for 

Leonardo, his best friend to have witnessed him in such an erotic state. 

Did these two have sex with other men as well? And why are they at such ease with themselves? If he was a sodomite he would have died in shame of his actions. No... not died. He would have been hanged for his actions. These things were simply.... unnatural. To be like that with another man. 

Perhaps this world was just different. Where everyone was like this. Si. That must be it. Mio Dio... what if this other Ezio has never had sex with a woman? Maybe that's why he doesn't know what he's missing. What he's giving up on. 

He had heard rumors, back in Firenze of such things. Things that happened at places where noblemen didn't belong. It isn't like he hadn't heard of it before. He had seen a few men punished for it as well, here in Venezia. But for himself and Leonardo of all people to be sodomites. His best friend didn't even enjoy women. And for him to be involved in something so devious. Ezio had never heard Leonardo mention anything even remotely related to sexual relations. Even when Ezio coaxed him to pursue a woman the blond would simply roll his eyes, saying that women didn't interest him. 

The sound of boots over worn out wood brought him out of his thoughts. A few brief seconds later he heard voices of the other two as they walked towards him. 

"Most of the inappropriate things have been moved. You're free to help us with the rest," his double stated, while Leonardo went to the room in the back where they were moving all of the things to. 

"Si," Ezio replied as he stood up. 

His double had patches of dust all over his clothes. A cobweb by the shoulder. Sweat clinging to his dusty skin. Leonardo came back to join them who was in a similar state as his lover. 

"We'll easily be able to fit the rest of it there," Leonardo replied, having had analysed the storage area. 

"Let's go. Probably half an hour more and then we'll be done," his double said. 

All three quickly made their way upstairs and Ezio saw that all of the portraits had been removed, leaving behind models and prototypes of a multitude of Leonardo's inventions along with some stacks of books as well as large boxes containing who knows what along with a few spare chairs and a broken stool. 'Had all those portraits been of his double?' Ezio thought to himself as he began clearing out the area. 

With the three of them working together it hardly took more than half an hour to get all of the clutter downstairs. Now that most of the things were gone, the room began to resemble his own, the one that his best friend had always kept aside for him to use. Leonardo came back with some new sheets while his double fetched him a broom and some spare clothes for him to wear along with handing him back his hidden blades. He also saw him place his boots and the dagger that he hid in them placed by the bed. 

"You should be able to handle the rest," Leonardo said as the two of them began to turn towards the door. 

"Is there a tub I could use for a bath?" Ezio asked before they could leave. 

"We were actually about to have one as well. I'll heat some extra water," his double replied. 

"I'll see if the one in my assistant's quarter can be used. Stay up in the room. Don't come down alright," Leonardo replied before the two walked out of the room. 

It was another fifteen minutes spent cleaning up the room to his liking before he felt good about the condition of his room. He had a cupboard. A window. A desk which was missing a few of its drawers and was a bit unstable since it was missing a leg. And a mirror which was in a surprisingly good condition. The mattresses seemed old and worn out. But he had slept on much worse surfaces during his missions so it wasn't a problem. 

It wasn't a long time before the other two returned back upstairs carrying a wooden tub between them. Ezio helped the two of them to fill water in both, the tub in his room as well as theirs before being left alone for the rest of the afternoon after being handed some bath salts and scented oils by Leonardo. 

After having a warm bath and changing into some clean clothes he headed downstairs to find out that the other two weren't done yet. So he spent some time downstairs, looking around. 

Most of things felt similar to Leonardo's workshop in his own world. The anatomy room was in the right rather than the left. The colour of the paint was different. Frankly Leonardo's workshop had always been in such a state of disorder that it was difficult to remember what was where to begin with. But overall everything felt the same. Even the new flying machine, the one built after Ezio crashed the first one, was hanging up on one of the rafters supporting the roof. 

He saw the two walk down with smiles on their faces as they greeted him. 

"Are you hungry?" his double asked happily before adding, "I know I am." 

"Si," Ezio replied, still unused to watching his own self. "I was just looking around. I hope you don't mind." 

"Oh. Of course not. I assume you're mostly familiar with the workshop anyway." Leonardo smiled politely. 

"I am. With the majority of the things." They took a seat as Ezio fetched some bread and preserved fruits for them to snack on. 

"Can I ask you both something?" Ezio said with curiosity, continuing when the others only nodded in response since they were chewing "Is it normal here? To love a man?" 

"What?" Ezio sputtered out while Leonardo finished his bite with ease, probably having expected the question. 

"No. It is punishable by death," Leonardo calmly stated before dipping another piece of his bread into the sugary syrup from the fruits. 

"Then how could you both...?" 

"Well what I do isn't exactly saintly anyway," the double replied as if it was the most obvious thing. 

"And I've always been this way. Women have never interested me," Leonardo summarized. They were the same words as his own friend's and yet the meaning behind them were completely different. 

"And we love each other. I have never trusted anyone more than Leonardo. Ever. He's been there 

for me more times than I could ever count. It isn't just about wants or desires. It's about warmth and safety. Peace, trust and a future. I cannot imagine anyone else by my side." Ezio could see that his double had absolutely no doubt in his words, their hands joined together as Leonardo smiled at his lover. 

"We don't care what society says. Not that they would ever find out anyway. What I have with him. This," Leonardo lifted their hands to prove his point, "This can never be wrong." 

The surety in their voices made Ezio himself feel at ease with them and their relationship somehow, if only for a few brief seconds. Despite the fact that it went against everything that he had thought to be right. To be natural. 

"What about you? If not Leo then there might be someone else in your life. A beautiful woman you love," his double asked, and Ezio realised that they had been studying his expressions for a while now as he was contemplating their relationship. 

"I don't have anyone like that," he replied in a low voice. 

"Oh," the other Ezio said almost sadly, before focusing on the food in his hands again. 

"And what about Leonardo? From your world. Does he have someone?" Leonardo asked with curiosity. 

"No. He isn't interested in relations of a sexual nature. He's always too preoccupied with his work anyway," Ezio replied. 

"Well at least the two of you are friends," his double added with a soft reassuring smile. 

"The very best. There is no other whom I...." Ezio started and realized that his own words were going to be very much like the ones his double had spoken a few minutes earlier. These two would probably not understand the difference between their relationship and the one he shared with his own best friend, so he abruptly stopped speaking. 

"No other whom you....?" Leonardo coaxed him to finish his sentence. 

"It's nothing. Just that he's my best friend," Ezio replied, ending the topic at that. 


	4. Chapter 4

It was still early morning when Ezio woke up the next day. The previous night he had been fatigued. But today he felt anything but. All the stress from waking up in this new world, not to mention the exhaustion he felt from when they all travelled from Venezia to Monteriggioni back in his own world was finally gone. In fact today he felt like his body was aching to get some movement. He wanted to just go out and run over Venezia's rooftops, preferably before the harsh sun made its appearance. 

But he couldn't. He had been specifically asked by the other two to stay inside. Wanting to see if he could somehow change their minds about this, he made his way downstairs, hoping to find the two awake just like yesterday. Surely his double would understand, wouldn't he? Afterall he was an assassin as well. To keep oneself alert and exercised was important. His body had grown accustomed to the active lifestyle his work demanded of him. 

Walking downstairs however, gave him no relief. The place was empty. He decided to check the kitchen in the back which was again without anyone in it. They hadn't woken up yet it seems. 

He began walking back upstairs as he dreaded having to wake the two of them up. It was still uncomfortable to see the two men in love. For a moment he almost made up his mind and decided to walk back into his room and wait rather than having to go inside their bedroom. 

He was being ridiculous. He had to live with these two for at least a year, if not more. One of these days he would have to accept what the both of them shared. He can't just wish them to stop loving each other. No matter how uneasy it made him. Up until this point they had agreed to help him. Dealing with his own inner turmoils in silence is the least he could do in return. 

He tried knocking at the door, his fist still unsure as he thought of what he'd have to witness inside. What if the two of them had a few other men as well? Having one of those orgies described in ancient Roman scripts where men loved each other without any sense of moral apprehension. 

When there was no word from inside, he used a little more force behind his fist as he knocked again. To his surprise though the door was unlocked, yielding itself open under his force rather than producing the loud sound he had hoped for. 

Inside, he found no such scenes of debauchery like the ones his mind had mustered up. Instead he found the two of them sleeping together peacefully. Leonardo was on his back, hair tousled. His left arm was spread open while the right had his lover clinging onto him. His double was on his side, his head near Leonardo's shoulder, drooling over the pale freckled skin. Their legs were tangled together between the white sheets which just barely hid their nakedness to his eyes. 

There was nothing that he saw that felt wrong about the image in front of him. Nothing immoral or deviant. His double had an arm draped lazily over Leonardo's stomach. His hair was all over the place. Ezio could see that he looked peaceful. Something that'd he'd never thought himself to look like. It all looked normal somehow. In a way he had never before imagined himself being after watching his father and brothers die in front of his own eyes. After swearing revenge on each and every who had wronged his family. 

And yet this Ezio. This Ezio had love. He wasn't alone. He had... things that he had said goodbye to long ago. In another lifetime. When he was just a brash nobleman, oblivious to all the hurt and pain that the world held for him. And yet this Ezio had faced all of it too. In fact he was the one person that Ezio should have been able to relate to. Instead he felt like a stranger. Different despite 

the identical circumstances they had faced over the years. Ezio doesn't think that he had ever looked this content in his life. Not just after the tragedy but overall. 

Deciding that he had lost all intentions of waking these two up from their quiet state of normalcy, he closed the door. He could wait until tomorrow to go on his run. He went back inside his own room, laying himself lazily down onto his bed as he thought about what he saw. 

Was this ever an option for himself? Could he be in this Ezio's place? Perhaps not with a man, he could never be with a man. But with a woman. One who loved him. The way that both Ezio and Leonardo had described their love yesterday. And yet it all felt so unattainable. To have that kind of surety about anyone. Apart from his family, Leonardo... his Leonardo had been the only person who ever even came close to making Ezio feel better. But he didn't love Leonardo. He couldn't. Such things were forbidden. He would have been disgusted anyway. At the very thought of seeing another man naked. 

No. All of this was just getting into his head. This was wrong. No. When Ezio was finally done with his purpose, his responsibility towards his slain family he would find a woman he loved. And settle down with her. Even though the only person whom he could now think about was how it would be if Leonardo became that person for him. His best friend. The only person he trusted this much. But he was a friend. And his Leonardo wasn't a sodomite. This was all just wrong to even think of. But then why was his brain constantly conjuring up images of how it would feel to have all of this when he returned back home. To his own best friend. 

And what about everyone else? His family would have him thrown out of the Villa if he ever involved himself in something like this. Leonardo would be disgusted with him too if he started to want something like this from his best friend. And why shouldn't he be? When Ezio himself felt wrong by the thought of it. But then why didn't he feel repulsed by the two in the other room, sleeping peacefully. Unaware of the inner turmoil that their actions were making him go through. 

Outside he heard footsteps, the sounds of the two of them talking. And Ezio could only wish that it wouldn't be long until he got to go back home. He wanted to leave. To let these two be as they were. To himself go back to how things were. 

There was a knock on his door before it was slowly opened, his double's head peeking inside. "Are you awake?" 

"Si," he replied, getting up as he forced himself to smile. 

"Can I go outside?" Ezio requested as he stood up. Before his double could turn him down he added, "I need to stretch my limbs a bit. I feel like I need to just go out for a run." 

"I have an idea," his double left the room without elaborating. Not understanding what he meant, Ezio followed him outside his room as well. His double walked into their own room as Ezio waited outside, waiting for him to explain. Leonardo, he saw was sitting on the desk, scribbling something onto a piece of paper in his backward writing that Ezio was all too familiar with. 

His double handed over a long white plain robe, similar to the assassin's robe but without any embellishments. "Come on. You can accompany me wearing this. That way I know you won't be doing anything that creates problems for us." 

Nodding, Ezio began to put the robe over his clothes with practiced ease while his double wore the usual assassin's robe. 

"Do not remove the hood. Alright?" his double instructed. 

"Si," he replied. This was great. People would just think that he was another assassin, working with Ezio. Running back to his room, he put the double blade over his other wrist before coming back. 

"Ready?" he asked. 

"Si," his double replied as he walked over to where Leonardo was working. 

"We'll be back," his double said, before leaning down to place a small kiss over Leonardo's lips who returned it affectionately. Ezio turned his head away with unease. 

"I'll ask Guida to cook something when she comes," Leonardo replied before focusing back on whatever it was he was working on. 

They went outside through the back door after making sure that the street was empty, a habit that it looked like he shared with his double since neither wanted to bring any trouble to their best friend's doorsteps. 

"You up for a race?" Ezio suggested as they got up over a rooftop. 

Smiling, his double answered, "Always." 

The two began to run. Most of the guards up over the rooftops were asleep just like they always were at this hour. Finally something felt familiar. Venezia was still the same. The same routes, every turn memorised as they ran with mindless abandon, complementing each other rather than competing. This had been a good idea. The rush of fresh air, well as fresh as it could get given where he was, was starting to relax him down. The movement felt like second nature, all thoughts escaping as he focused on himself and his surroundings. Deadly and yet beautiful in his own grace. 

It wasn't until about half an hour later that the two of them stopped, deciding to climb over Campanile di San Marco since it was his double's favourite place to climb up to. Ezio himself preferred Basilica dei Frari ever since Rosa had shown him how to climb on it among showing him other things afterwards but this was fine as well. They didn't go all the way up, sitting just where the wooden spire began to taper down, their legs dangling but still not reaching the loggia. 

The early morning wind along with the cloudy sky was chilling. And yet everything felt so breathtakingly beautiful as the two sat there. A few of the Eagles found them to be out of place but didn't fly away. They must have gotten used to having his double here it seemed. 

"Doesn't it feel amazing? To be able to watch all of Venezia under you?" his double said as they finally sat over the roof. 

"It is. Reminds me of Firenze. When me and Federico used to do this together," Ezio replied with a warm look. 

"Si. Did you learn to climb with him as well?" his double asked. 

"Uh huh." Ezio nodded in affirmation. "First our own roofs." 

"Then the small churches," his double added. 

"And finally i campanili," Ezio finished what he had heard Federico tell him countless times when they were younger, getting an excited nod in return from his double. 

"So tell me," his double started again when they were simply enjoying the view under them, "why did you come inside our room this morning?" 

Ezio looked at his double's face, who had lowered the hood from his head. Doing the same himself, he answered, "I thought you were asleep." 

"I'm always alert," his double replied and it made sense. He had been stupid to have assumed otherwise. 

"I wanted to ask if I could go out. While it was still early. So that no one saw me. This is better though." Ezio smiled, gesturing towards the hood. 

"Why didn't you then? Wake us up," his double asked curiously. 

"You were....." peaceful was the first thing that came into his mind. "I didn't feel like waking you up," he instead blurted out. 

"Ahh... right." an expression of understanding came over his double's face. Although what he understood, Ezio couldn't tell. So he decided to let it go. 

"I wish Leo could have joined us as well," his double replied as one of the Eagles came over and perched on his double's shoulder. 

"Leonardo can climb up this high?" Ezio stared awkwardly for a while at how comfortable his double seemed to be with the bird of prey. 

"Si. Why wouldn't he?" his double questioned back with obvious confusion. 

"Well. I mean sure I have seen my friend climb up to his own rooftops but this high? Never," Ezio answered. 

"Your Leonardo is different. Here, he loves to just watch the birds. He knew how to climb anyway, even when he was in Vinci. He has always loved to discover new things be it there," his double pointed his finger down towards the streets, "or up here." 

"No. Mine does as well." He saw his double smirk at his use of possessive pronoun. "It's just that I've never seen him climb up to such a great height." 

"Leonardo learned to climb to such heights when he wanted tostudy on the flight of various birds. Observe the differences in their forms based on the altitude that they used for flight. Eagles, he found were exclusively seen at these altitudes. So he asked for my help. But that was years ago. Back in Firenze. Now he just likes to keep me company sometimes," his double replied. And there it was again that same hopeless smile on his face. One that made Ezio feel jealous. 

"Leonardo loves to study birds too. In fact he frees them," Ezio added, describing his own best friend. 

"By buying them from the markets first?" his double questioned eagerly. 

"Si. And then taking the cages with him back to his bottega. Where he would carefully free each one." Ezio smiled, seeing his expression mirrored on his double's face. 

"Do you join him?" his double questioned. 

"Si. When I'm staying with him. Which is quite often actually if I'm in Venezia," Ezio replied. His double hummed slowly in response. 

They spent a few more minutes in silence, each lost in his own thoughts before deciding that it 

would be best to head back home before the city woke up to its normal chaos. The guards once again pestering them. Putting their hoods back up to cover their faces, the two jumped down one behind the other with precision before running back to the bottega once again. 

They walked back inside to find everything just the way it was. Leonardo was still working upstairs, blissfully unaware of their absence or presence. 

"It seems Vincenzo hasn't woken up yet," his double said as they began to remove their robes. 

Behind them both, they heard someone jump into the workshop from one of the windows. Instantly, the two turned around, two sets of blades unsheathed and ready for whoever it was. 

"Porca vacca!! Figlio di puttana!!!" 

The two visibly calmed down, blades back in their sheaths as they heard the all too familiar words from Rosa's mouth. They both had their hoods down, which explained just why she was so surprised. 

"Can't you ever knock? Or use the door?" Ezio heard his double groan beside himself. 

"Why the fuck are there two of you?" Rosa ignored the question. Constantly shifting her eyes from one to the other with shock clear on her face. Which was something in itself since Ezio had rarely ever seen Rosa get shocked. 

"It's a long story," his double replied with exhaustion, apparently not in the mood to explain all of this to someone. 

"So?" Rosa anxiously replied. 

"What are you doing here?" his double asked, ignoring her obvious curiosity. 

"Antonio needed to talk to you. And I wanted some breakfast," she replied. 

"There isn't any," his double stated before walking inside the kitchen and throwing an apple at her direction as he chewed on one himself . 

"You want one?" Ezio nodded before his double threw another one from the kitchen. 

"At least it's a relief to see that you're the same." Ezio smiled in the most charming fashion. Even though there was no love between him and Rosa, there had been many a nights when they had found comfort in each other. Even though it was just as friends. 

"What do you mean?" she asked with confusion. 

"He is from another world. Where they found a magical article which somehow got him here," his double crudely explained between his bites of the fruit. 

"A pleasure," Ezio bowed courteously. 

"Madonna Maria!! Don't tell me you've slept with her. Is she the one you love?" 

"What???" Both Ezio and Rosa shouted at his double's words. 

"I have never..." Rosa started. 

"I wasn't talking to you. I'm talking to him," his double quickly hushed the thief down. 

"I do not love her," Ezio gritted. 

"So you've only slept with her," his double laughed. 

"What's so funny about it?" Ezio questioned furiously. 

"Nothing. Just weird since I see her the way I do Claudia. Except my sister does not have such a filthy mouth," his double answered. 

"Why?" Ezio furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 

"Well what do you expect? From a woman that only teases me. And made me carry her for more than quindici braccio the first time I met her while swearing at me the entire time," his double replied. 

"Vaffanculo." Rosa used her fingers to accentuate her point. 

"Leo's busy right now," his double grinned as Rosa rolled her eyes back, looking unimpressed. Ezio had to literally stop himself from coughing out his mouthful of the fruit. 

"She knows about you two?" Ezio replied once he swallowed the fruit. 

"Knows. I have walked in on them more times than I can count," Rosa replied with amusement. 

"Stop showing up unannounced then," his double quipped back. 

"You don't have a problem with them?" Ezio asked curiously. And suddenly all the playfulness was gone from Rosa's expressions. 

"Why would I have a problem?" she asked, genuinely confused. 

"Well they're men," Ezio clarified. 

"I did not know. Grazie mille for clarifying that," Rosa replied back before asking his double to bring something else for them to eat. 

"He thinks what we do is a sin," his double replied from inside the kitchen before bringing the entire basket of fruit with him. 

"Why? Are you not an assassin?" Rosa questioned, searching the basket of fruit for something she liked. 

"I am," Ezio replied back, not understanding what that had to do with anything. 

"So you think murdering people is fine but being with the man you love is not?" Rosa asked with a quizzical expression on her face. 

"That's not - " Ezio started. 

The thief ignored his little attempt at explaining her. "And isn't that what your Creed is about? To let people be? What was it again? Everything is permitted. Or are you one of those self ri..." 

"Rosa. It's fine." His double had a serious expression as he grasped her hand, nodding his head in a silent but firm no when she tried to speak to Ezio again. 

"Hmm..." Rosa replied, focusing her attention back to the food before her. 

"What does Antonio require?" his double tried to change the topic. 

"He needs your help with some men in Firenze. Needs you to ask your uncle to see if he can find anything. Or you, if you're going to go to Monteriggioni soon," Rosa replied as she ate some berries. 

"I'll go see him then. Would you mind coming along?" his double said, getting a nod of her head as a reply from his friend before the two headed out. 

"Vincenzo or Guida may arrive soon. It's best if you go upstairs. And don't leave the workshop," his double instructed before heading out the door with Rosa. 


	5. Chapter 5

Ezio had to stay upstairs for the majority of the rest of the day since Leonardo had a patron of his coming over to model for the portrait her husband had commissioned him for. It also meant that the other Ezio stayed upstairs with him once he returned back from the thieves guild because of getting bored after having watched this same woman in this exact same pose three days earlier. The woman was also bland to talk to, according to what his double had described. 

At least this Leonardo, just like his own friend had that same uncanny ability to keep his patrons happy despite not having any interest in what most of them spoke of. Ezio couldn't blame him either. Most of the noblewomen were truly repetitive with their topics. 

The two of them spent the afternoon together which was nice considering that they mostly talked about how they were different from each other. He found out that his double wasn't very difficult to get along with, considering that they mostly shared the same interests if different opinions of the world around them. 

"Do you not live in Monteriggioni then?" Ezio asked, looking up from his plate of Rixi e bixi as they had dinner. 

"I do. But travelling there takes time. Plus Venezia has just been liberated from the Templars. Before that both me and zio agreed that me being here was the best option for everyone." his double replied between his mouthfuls of rice. 

"You haven't gone in a while now," Leonardo replied between spoonfuls of his fagioli polenta. 

"I was actually planning to go next week. But now that we have him here, I think it would be best to focus on the Piece of Eden first," his double replied. 

"Do they know? Zio, mamma and Claudia?" Ezio asked even though he knew that his double was probably bored by his questions by now. 

"About the two of us?" Leonardo sipped from his glass of soave. Ezio nodded in response. 

"They do," his double briefly replied, before quickly adding, "And no they do not have any problems with us either. They love Leo. And they love how happy I am with him. Nobody cares that we are both men." His double sighed with exhaustion as he spoke, already knowing what Ezio would ask next. 

"Does your Creed not embrace liberty and freedom?" Leonardo questioned at Ezio's muted expression. 

"It does." 

"Then?" his double quickly questioned. "Frankly, we do not care for your acceptance. Just like most people don't care about what's happening in our bedroom. But this is obviously bothering you. More than it should. Why can't you just let us be?" 

"It's nothing. I'm just not used to this. Any of this at all." And I'm not used to seeing my best friend like this. But Ezio left that unsaid. 

"I'm tired. Buonanotte," Ezio quickly carried the plate back to the kitchen before heading upstairs. 

Thankfully instead of pondering too much about the topic, his poor brain let him sleep for a while. But not for long though. At about midnight he heard sounds. Sounds like someone was furiously knocking on something. It took him a moment to realise that it wasn't anyone knocking anything but rather the bedposts banging against the wall. 

Ezio knew all too well why he was hearing that sound at midnight. Ezio and Leonardo were probably having sex in the other room. He took another pillow and placed it over his head as he turned to lay facing the door. It did absolutely nothing to stop the noise nor did it help the images that was coursing through his mind. How exactly did sodomy work? This morning he had some of his various misconceptions cleared when he had walked inside their room. How did someone love a man? 

He found himself slowly getting hard by the thoughts. Why was he reacting this way? No. This wasn't right. Curiosity and arousal were starting to get the better of him as he slowly pulled the pillow and sheets off of himself before sitting up. Was he truly going to do this? Watch men have sex? His hardening cock made the decision for him as he opened the door to his room. 

The sounds got louder. But there was nothing more. No moaning as you would expect from when he usually took a woman. No just the bed slamming onto the wall. 

When he pushed on the door, he saw that this time it was latched. Perhaps he should have thought this through. No this was wrong. He couldn't just invade on their privacy like this. But it was also forbidden. For men to have sex. And he just wanted to see for himself. How could anyone like him enjoy such a thing? Using his hidden blade, he carefully flipped the latch from outside, making sure not to make a sound. 

It was wrong. Everything about what they were doing was wrong. His double was kneeling on the bed on all fours, his hair pulled back by Leonardo's hand as he pressed his lips together tightly, trying to muffle all sounds while Leonardo pounded into him from behind, alla pecorina. The sounds of skin slapping against skin was making him heady along with the small pants of breath that his double couldn't stop from escaping no matter how hard he tried. 

The two of them looked beautiful, glowing in the orange hue of the lamp, skin covered in a sheen of sweat. He had expected them to look hideous, degrading. And of course there were the normal obscenities that were present with sex. The heady smell of sweat and cum in the air, their bodies looking filthy and sticky, hair matted and clumped, the bed an absolute mess. And yet... yet they looked beautiful. 

Leonardo had his head arched back. He let go of Ezio's hair before settling both of his hands over the assassin's hips, his pace getting even more furious. And worst of all, his double was thrusting back with equal fervour. Taking Leonardo better than he had seen any courtesan do with him in the filthiest of bordellos he had been to. This was wrong. How could he ever take a cock up his ass? In Ezio's mind, he had thought his double would assume a different position. Nothing this degrading. This submissive. His double should be the one fucking, not getting fucked. And yet Ezio could already feel himself leaking precum at the scene before him, at the very thought of taking his double's place. He had never felt this aroused before in the absence of a direct touch. 

He saw Leonardo slowly lean down over his double's body, their skin flush against each other, pale against tan in a beautiful contrast, never slowing down in their pace. Leonardo nibbled on his double's earlobe before saying something that Ezio couldn't hear. Almost instantly, he found his double's eyes snap up to his own face, eyes analysing him from head to toe before meeting Ezio's stare without any shame. 

Leonardo got back into his earlier position, as he fucked his lover from behind, hands roaming over 

his double's naked back. His double stopped pressing his lips as tightly, no longer trying to contain his moans. He was caught. Ezio knew it. There was no denying it. To make matters worse his double started moaning out without any restraint now, arching his back. Leonardo let go as well as he began panting. The sound of the bed was now the last thing that could be heard as the two of them panted and groaned inside their room, voicing their pleasures. 

These two were actually being considerate earlier, trying to keep their voices down. Not anymore though. It's like they didn't care that Ezio was there, watching them. Now all they cared about was each other and their orgasms. 

Instead of turning back around like his brain was screaming him to do, Ezio stayed, stuck in his position as he kept watching. It didn't matter anyway. They knew he was watching. Leonardo simply decided to ignore him while his double shot another look in his direction before focusing on his own pleasure, arching and moaning. Slowly Ezio's own hands began to rub the insistent bulge in his breeches without his permission. Neither of these two were paying much attention to what he was doing anyway. 

He saw Leonardo pull out, still uncaring of him. His double whined in disappointment. Before he was flipped onto his back. He saw Leonardo stare directly into his lover's eyes as he pushed himself inside his double again, using his fingers to guide the penetration. He saw the other Ezio quickly clamp his legs around his lover, pulling Leonardo closer before beginning to thrust himself mindlessly up onto the cock inside him, moaning out when Leonardo bent down to kiss him roughly, all tongue and teeth. They stayed in that position. Kissing, murmuring, panting and biting. Eyes locked over each other as they fucked ruthlessly. Ezio had never seen anything this rough and yet passionate ever before. The entire bed was vibrating with each of their thrusts. It was like the two of them were lost in a world of their own. 

After what felt like hours of simply staring at the mesmerising view before him, he saw his double pull Leonardo closer, hiding his face near his lover's nape as he shuddered, moans getting filthier by the second while his body stiffened under his lover. Ezio knew that his double had just found his completion even though Leonardo's body hid the image of his double's softening cock. Going by how Leonardo's hips were moving erratically, he could tell that he was currently finishing inside his lover as well. 

He saw Leonardo collapse onto his double's body, who in turn wrapped both hands around his best friend and lover. The two of them unmoving for quite a while until he saw his double turn his head in his direction. 

"You should go to your room. Take care of yourself," his double said slowly with an unreadable expression, still recovering from their activities as he motioned towards Ezio's raging erection. 

He saw Leonardo dazedly pull up and out before the two satisfied lovers laid themselves the right way on the bed. Leonardo blew out the oil lamp and cuddled close to his lover before promptly falling asleep, leaving Ezio standing there in the dark. After a few short moments of realising just what had happened, he returned back into his own room where he brought himself to an orgasm at what he had just witnessed. No matter what he tried to think of, the countless women he tried to imagine, all he saw was the image of himself getting pounded by a man. And not just any man but his own best friend. After having one of the most satisfying but confusing climax of his life, he found himself swiftly falling asleep. 

The next morning, Ezio didn't leave his room for two hours, unsure of how he would face the two of them. He had never been so ashamed of himself. Or of what he saw. How could his double have enjoyed that? He was a man.... He could have never imagined someone like him being the 

submissive one in sex. Even though he had had women occasionally ride him and taking charge he still had complete control. But last night, and his double. No it isn't him... his double is the one who should be ashamed of his actions. 

How could any man even enjoy that? Having a cock in his ass. He had caught a glimpse of Leonardo's thick and hard member. How could his double have taken that inside himself and still enjoy it? The sheer pain. And humility. And yet every time he thought of these things, his double's face painted in indescribable pleasure came to his mind. That look of absolute bliss. His unrestrained moans drowning his ears. The way he arched and writhed. The intensity with which he wanted Leonardo to go harder and deeper still. And how the two of them looked at each other, the love between them was almost tangible. They didn't even care that he was watching. Most of the time, they didn't register his presence. They were so engaged within each other. 

And he.... He himself and his own behaviour last night. Why did it feel so pleasing? He had loved the view before him. The sheer debauchery and the contrasting beauty of it all. The way they were so wrapped up in each other, mindless towards anyone and anything but each other. It... it did look sinful but in the best of the ways. Like they were in the ultimate throes of pleasure. Even when he was in his own room, imagining them he couldn't help but want it. Couldn't help but imagine himself doing this with his own best friend. Could almost picture how Leo would react. What the hell was wrong with him? He couldn't.... Leonardo would be disgusted by him. 

"Are you hungry?" Ezio saw his double open the door as he walked inside his room. 

"I'm sorry." It was all Ezio could muster up as he stared at the wooden floor below his boots. 

"Let's go downstairs. Guida has yet to come. There's no one else except for me and Leo. She'll begin with the food once she arrives. You won't get to go downstairs then. There's something we need to talk to you about," his double smiled amiably, not an ounce of guilt in his voice. As if the man wasn't moaning as he committed sodomy last night. 

Ezio nodded, before walking behind his double. At least they weren't angry at him. Or at least his double wasn't. He still had no idea about Leonardo. 

"I'm sorry," Ezio repeated himself as Leonardo handed him a piece of salted meat and some of last night's bread while he himself ate some with formaggio. 

"We're sorry that we woke you up," Leonardo, always the polite one, apologised. 

"Why were you even watching?" his double asked as he stole some of his lover's cheese. 

"I don't know... I've just never..." Ezio drifted off. What would he even say? 

"You're curious, aren't you? That is what all of this is about, si?" Leonardo asked. Thankfully he wasn't angry either. 

"I... it's just wrong. You shouldn't have been doing that," Ezio blurted out again. Instantly he knew that he'd insulted them again. Spoke the one thing that they had asked him not to. 

"And yet you seemed to enjoy yourself," his double snarled, gaze pointing at Ezio's crotch to accentuate his point, "watching us sin." 

He saw Leonardo slap his double's thigh, to keep his lover from embarrassing their guest. Nope. These two were not ashamed at all. 

"It's just.... It was a bodily reaction," Ezio replied. 

"Of course it was," his double smirked. 

"What is that supposed to mean? I'm not a sodomite like you. I don't take cocks up my ass," Ezio gritted in annoyance. 

"You do realise that we can tell when you lie. I am basically you. I can tell from your expressions. And he knows how to read our face like a book," his double pestered on. 

"I cannot be a sodomite. Stop trying to make me like you. I would never.. " Ezio started angrily. 

"What? Let a man inside you," his double mocked. 

"Si. How could you even do that? You're a man. You're... it's wrong," Ezio snarled back. 

"I don't have any intention of calling you or making you anything. And I don't care about your stupid morals. Your issues are yours to deal with. Why the hell you were watching us, I don't know," his double replied 

"Stop annoying him, caro. Let's just get to the point," Leonardo said to his double. 

"No. He needs to respect others and their choices, Leo. Even yesterday, I didn't say anything in front of Rosa. But what? You think I am any less of a man? Because of who I love? Because of what you saw... no sorry, what you spied on us doing," his double shot back with the same stubbornness. 

"Yes. You are. Men don't just... do that. Not with other men," Ezio retorted. 

"Well don't watch us if you feel so offended," his double replied. 

"And why you? Why can't he be the woman?" Ezio started. Now that this was something they were talking about, he might as well get everything out. 

"We switch actually," Leonardo replied between the two Ezios fighting. 

"But I like it more," his double replied, just to watch him get even more irritated now that he knew that him being the bottom was annoying his lookalike. 

"But how could you? Isn't it painful?" Ezio replied, anger mixed with just a hint of genuine concern. 

"You're right. He's just curious. No matter how much he tries to hide it with anger," his double told Leonardo who nodded in response. 

"I'm not curious," Ezio replied with stubbornness. 

"It feels incredible. To let the man you love take you," his double started, ignoring his reply to further irritate him, "to let go of everything. And the pain. Oh I love every bit of the pain. Because it makes the pleasure that much more delicious. And there's a spot inside a man. It makes you moan like a little puttana. How could I not love the feeling of Leo above me, feeling him in the most intimate way possible?" his double smirked to himself when he saw Ezio listen to each of his word with undivided attention. 

"This wasn't supposed to be some class about sodomy," Leonardo abrupted his lover. "We only wanted to tell you that there are boundaries that you shouldn't cross. Last night was one of them. The both of us were too far gone yesterday to better control ourselves and tell you to leave. Ever 

since you came here, we didn't get much time to ourselves. In fact we even tried to remain quiet just for your sake. But don't think that just because you're Ezio's lookalike, you get the right to intrude on our privacy," Leonardo replied, not liking what the talk had escalated to. 

"And stop judging us. Or try to make us feel bad about ourselves. It would only lead to problems for you not us. You're the one who needs our help," his double added. 

"Whenever I see the two of you, it makes me want my own best friend. I love Leonardo. Like a brother. And the two of you. You're just confusing everything for me. Making me want things that I know are wrong," Ezio shouted out in a burst of sudden honesty, admitting things for the first time even to himself. 

"That's for you and your Leonardo to figure out. But I hope that you won't spy on us again. Or try to make other people see things your way like you tried with Rosa yesterday," his double replied with finality in his voice. 

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I lost control of myself," Ezio apologised. 


	6. chapter 6

"Ezio?" Rosa barged her way inside the workshop through the open door. 

"Ezio's upstairs," Leonardo replied, adding some ochre to his pallete. After having lived with an assassin and having been friends with Rosa for so many years now, abrupt noises barely surprised the artist anymore. 

"And that other one?" Rosa asked, standing behind Leonardo to see what he was working on. 

"He's outside. He was bored from being locked up in the workshop for the past week. He has a robe on him and Ezio has specifically instructed him that no one should see his face before he agreed to let him leave," Leonardo clarified, adding a drop of linseed oil to mix the pigments. 

"Won't be too difficult, seeing as he's an assassin as well," Rosa replied as she started towards the stairs. 

"Hopefully," Leonardo murmered from behind her before she disappeared into the upper floor. 

"Ezio?" Rosa shouted once again. 

"In here," Ezio shot back from their bedroom where he had all his weapons laid out over the bed, from the small and light throwing knives to the large and weighted sword that he had here in Venezia. It was nothing impressive when compared to what he had procured over the years, currently present in Monteriggioni but these were the ones he liked the most. Which is why he always took these with him wherever he went. 

"I'm sure Leonardo would find the bed very sexually arousing with what you've done with it," Rosa snorted at the sheer number of weapons laid out. 

"I know that was an insult, but in reality Leo loves to do it when I have my armour on me. Which is odd actually considering the fact that he is a pacifist." Ezio smirked. 

"Can you never be embarrassed and just shut up?" Rosa replied even though she was envying Ezio right now for his impressive collection. 

"No." Ezio finally turned away from the bed to face her. "I needed to clean and oil these." Rosa nodded, thanking all gods that her simple dagger for pickpocketing doesn't need all this maintenance. 

"Antonio found something." Rosa started after placing some of his throwing knives aside to have a seat, getting a look of annoyance in return. 

"About that ship?" Ezio replied just as his double walked inside the room as well. 

"Madre di Dio!!! Seeing the both of you together is still eerie," Rosa said watching the two. 

"What's going on?" Ezio asked not affected by the weapons before him since it was a routine process for him as well. The only difference being that Ezio always did this when in Monteriggioni. 

"I told Antonio to find out about that ship of yours. The one headed for Cyprus. He found something," his double replied as Ezio took another cloth to help him, soaking it with some oil 

before beginning to oil the surface of the dagger placed by the edge of the bed. 

"Si. Well... not exactly. We found that there was indeed a ship headed to Cyprus the day you killed Dante and Silvio," Rosa started as the two listened carefully. 

"What we do not know is the ship's route. Or when it's bound to return," Rosa added regretfully. 

"An easy task. Do you know what type of ship this was?" his double questioned. 

"Yes. A naval ship. It started from L'Arsenale," Rosa replied. 

"Well then perhaps we should head there. See if the workers and the officials know about its journey," his double suggested. 

"It's bound to return next year," Ezio replied. 

"Still, if there's a way for us to get to it earlier then I think we should take it. A journey to Cyprus doesn't take two years. Something is amiss here," his double said as he thought of something. 

"All right then. But I want to come with you as well," Ezio requested. 

"As you wish. We'd have to break into L'Arsenale then, see what we can find out," his double replied. 

"I would need to buy some weapons then," Ezio said as his double turned his focus back on the sword he was oiling. 

"Take your pick. I always keep extra here," his double used his hand, gesturing to the multitude of weapons laid out before them. 

"I have my hidden blades. A few throwing knives and the sword would do," Ezio replied, using his fingers to check the condition of the ones he would be needing for use. 

"I'll go to the mercato once we're done with this. We need smoke bombs. And I'll see if we have any poison or I'll get some from the dottore," his double offered before turning to his friend, "Tell Antonio thanks." 

"Have you told him about me?" Ezio asked with unsurity. 

"I didn't need to. She was blurting out what she saw the moment we walked inside his office," his double said, gesturing towards the thief. 

"Well I don't get to see two of the same people everyday. You're lucky I only told him and Ugo," Rosa replied, positioning her legs one over the other as she stretched over the bed to get comfortable. 

"Why did you tell Ugo?" Ezio replied with an annoyed expression. At this rate the Templars might know as well. 

"What do you mean? I tell him everything." Rosa quirked her eyebrows. 

"Why?" Ezio asked, not understanding. 

"Because he's my husband," Rosa replied with similar confusion. 

"Your husband???" Ezio coughed out. 

"Si," Rosa replied. Turning to his double, she asked, "What's so surprising about that?" 

"Who knows?" his double shrugged, more interested in his weapons than anything else that was being spoken. 

"He's always been by my side. We've always been there for each other. We practically grew up together ever since Antonio took me in. Doing everything together. You really think that your secret is something I'd keep from my own husband?" she mocked. A long pause of silence passed as Ezio digested the information. 

"We should probably go in the evening. Just before the guard shift changes," his double replied when Ezio didn't say anything for a while. "If not the day then at least the night shift would be able to give us some clues." 

"Si. The officials would be there as well." Ezio nodded, agreeing with the plan. 

"I should be going. Inform us about what you find out. Antonio wishes to know more about this Piece of Eden as well," Rosa said, jumping up from the bed before walking towards the door. 

"Leo has assistants downstairs. Use the window," his double warned making her change her route as she left through the window with a small ciao. 

"How do you make it work? Living here with Leonardo all the time?" Ezio asked his double as he began on one of the throwing knives. 

"I'm just his friend, staying with him. Nobody knows who Il Assassino is. And I only use that identity on missions. The rest of the time, I'm simply Ezio, Leonardo's migliore amico. Apart from his assistants, no one knows of our relations. It's not that different from what you do when you take shelter in your friend's house. The only difference is that we share a room and you don't," his double explained. 

"Don't people speculate?" Ezio asked curiously. 

"No. Because most people don't know about my existence, not unless I want them to. I am after all an assassin. No matter where I stay, if I'm not in Monteriggioni, then I don't let people find out about me," his double replied. 

Over these last few days, both his double as well as Leonardo had gotten used to his questioning. They didn't mind it either, as long as he didn't try to point anything out or insult them. Or try to lecture them about right and wrong. In fact, Ezio himself was growing accustomed to their relations. 

"I can finish these if you want. You can go to the market," Ezio offered. 

"Alright. Just leave them here once they're done. And make sure you lock the door. You know what, I'll be back before then. But if not, tell Leonardo that my weapons are here upstairs. He'll handle the rest," his double replied before using the stairs from their bedroom to the roof which opened up into the rooftop garden. It was constructed just for Ezio to use, to come and go without rousing suspicions. 

The rest of the day passed fairly quickly. His double returned back in less than an hour following which they went over the strategies of how they'd planned to infiltrate the Arsenale. They'd decided to work together, each handling an area so as not to get in each other's way. Neither of them were familiar with the other's methods. But they knew that both of them were very good at what they did. 

"Come back safe," Leonardo softly kissed his double's forehead, who gave a small nod in reply before the two of them left from the rooftop garden. 

Heading inside the arsenal, Ezio turned to eastward while his double turned towards the west. He knew that the officials would probably have the information if a Templar vessel was concerned. Despite the Barbarigos being driven away or killed, Rodrigo's influence over the city was not gone, just weakened. To account for a ship like that, he still must have informants in here. 

His double was going to handle two of the members of Savi agli Ordini who were currently present in the premises to find out about the Templar hold on the Navy. Ezio on the other hand would deal with Il Capitano delle Navi to check a record of the ships that had sailed during this year as well as the previous one. 

After finding out the way to the Capitano's cabin, taking the help of one of the dock workers, Ezio made his way towards it, careful to remain undetected all the while. There were four guards stationed outside while a group of another four patrolled the surrounding area. He couldn't risk leaving bodies. Not until they had their hands on the ledger. 

Using a smoke bomb to create a distraction, he quietly slipped inside the office. The two guards inside were swiftly taken care of as he used his poison blade to deliver a powerful dose of opium on them, making them unconscious. 

"What do you want Assassino?" the captain snarled when Ezio placed his blade over his neck. 

"There had been a ship, sailing to Cyprus. It was to be boarded by Silvio Barbarigo. I need to know the route of the ship," Ezio said in a business like tone. 

"All of the Barbarigo trade logs are recorded separately. Especially the ones that the officials need to keep hidden. The ship you speak of was one of them. If you need to find out the route and its status then you'd need to access the central room, where all the ship details are recorded and kept in the archive. There is a hidden chamber there. You'd find the records you seek there," the officer explained, being especially compliant once the blade was rested over his Adam's apple . 

"Is there anything else?" Ezio asked with death lacing his voice. 

"There is a key to the room inside the drawer," the man replied. 

"Place it on the desk," Ezio instructed before the man leaned down to retrieve the key and place it onto his desk. 

"The hidden chamber can only be accessed by the Savi. They have the keys. I don't have the authority," the man anxiously added. 

After taking the key, Ezio leaned down to warn, "I'll manage. Grazie. And remember, not a word to anyone, si?" The man furiously nodded before Ezio used some opium extract on him as well, to ensure there would be no disturbance. 

By the time he made his way to the central archive, he saw his double walking up from the other direction towards him. Hopefully carrying the second set of keys with him. 

"There are guards inside. At least fifteen based on what I found out. The area is closed. The only way in is through the door. We need to be quiet or else we'd be surrounded before we can find the ledger," his double said as he perched up on the roof beside him. 

"You have the key?" Ezio asked. 

"Si. You?" Ezio nodded, dangling them within his fingers. 

"All right. Let's go." 

The two landed simultaneously, two pairs of hidden blades making quick work of the four guards stationed in front of the entrance. Entering quietly inside, they saw two groups of guards patrolling the large area. They had no doubt that there were more inside each of the individual rooms. 

Quickly, the two climbed up over a scaffold to prevent getting detected. 

"The archive." Ezio motioned towards the left corner. His double nodded in understanding as they quickly used the wall mountings and the large cupboards, along with the rafters to make their way towards the western corner of the hall, successfully avoiding the guards downstairs. 

Right as they swung themselves inside the dusty room, they roused the suspicion of one of the guards. His double quickly climbed down to use his poison blade to make him unconscious. Clamping his hand firmly on the guard's mouth as he pierced the skin. Unfortunately, the guard was able to successfully cut a gash into his double's right arm as he struggled under his grip. It was deep but not fatal. 

After taking care of the body, his double used his position to locate the chamber with his eyesight. It was a tiny locker behind one of the smaller cupboards. After repeating the process with the remaining three guards inside the room, the two quickly made their way to the chamber. 

"You're bleeding," Ezio stated. 

"I'll be fine," his double replied as they opened the chamber to find the ledger recording all templar ships from last year. 

"Here," his double pointed out to the records of July last year. Just like they'd expected, the ship's complete schedule was written, right until its return back to Venezia next year. 

Behind him, Ezio heard his double get a spare piece of paper as well as a quill as they copied the contents of the pages regarding the ship. After ten minutes, Ezio nodded. "Let's go." 

The two made their way out of the central area with ease, thankfully not stumbling upon any more guards. Outside however, one of the patrolling groups were trying to find out where the guards near the door were. They had to make a slow escape, hiding multiple times. One of the guards had been able to spot him as they hid. Before his double could incapacitate him, Ezio got shot with a throwing knife near his shoulder. 

It took half an hour of careful maneuvering, but they were finally out of the arsenal with the necessary information and minimal injuries. After another half an hour of using a gondola to reach San Polo, they finally returned back to Leonardo's bottega, just before midnight. 

Climbing down into the bedroom, he saw Leonardo quickly turn around from his chair. He had been writing something, more like sketching based on the charcoal stains on his fingers. Quickly, he came over to his double to check up on him. Even though their robes were different, Ezio knew that it wouldn't have taken Leonardo more than a second to distinguish between him and his lover. These two were that well versed with each other. 

"You're wounded." Leonardo quickly made his double sit on the bed as he began to rummage through the cupboard to take out his medicine kit. Ezio was all too familiar with the kit, since his best friend had one as well, specifically for him. 

"We found the information," his double replied as Leonardo went downstairs to fetch some solvents and water. 

"Later." Leonardo quickly came back. "Are you wounded too?" the all too familiar face with the same concern made Ezio's heart constrict from the memories of his own best friend, his Leonardo. He saw Leonardo carefully clean the area with the solvents, getting rid of most of the blood that had dried to the robe, before carefully peeling away the cloth. 

"It's deep," Leonardo said as he lit a candle to sterilise the needle. 

"It's nothing," his double smiled warmly. 

"Shut up. Or you know - " 

His double cut his lover's words, "Si si. I know. God knows when you'd stop worrying yourself over these." 

"Knowing whom I love, probably never." Leonardo saw his lover smile softly in response, not an ounce of sympathy in his double about making Leonardo worry so much about him. 

Their interactions began to remind Ezio of his own Leonardo, his best friend. The scene before him was all too familiar, with him coming back to the bottega hurt while Leo stitched him up, not just his body but his mind as well, with concern veiled in anger. 

"Stay still, si?" Leonardo instructed while Ezio nodded dutifully, his shoulders tense as he anticipated that first prick of the needle against his spirit cleaned skin . 

The way the two of them looked at each other, such ease between them after having done this more times than either of them could remember. The small reassuring touches of Leonardo's hand whenever his double tensed up, the low and quiet admonishing whenever his double tried to pass his pain away as a joke. The way his double silently tightened his grip on his lover when it hurt too much. The little nods of Leonardo's head to tell his double to endure it just a little bit longer, that it was almost over. He had done all of this. With his best friend. 

"I miss Leo," Ezio softly murmured to himself, even though the other two heard him as well. "I miss him," he said again. Seeing the two of them together, for the past week, and even now... he wanted it. Wanted to do all of this with his own best friend. 

"Did... did Leonardo do this for you as well?" he heard Leonardo ask him as he used a scalpel to cut the horsehair that he had been using for the wound. 

"Si. He did. And he always seemed to know, even if I tried to hide the wounds to ease some of his worries," Ezio replied looking down at his hands as he smiled brokenly at the memories. 

"Come here." He saw his double slide to the side, resting his arm over a pillow as Leonardo asked him to take his place. 

"Do you want some laudanum?" Leonardo asked as he used a cloth to first clean the area and soften the blood before attempting to remove his robe. 

"You didn't offer him," Ezio asked, looking up. 

"I don't like it when I'm in that state. Unless it's excruciatingly painful I try to refrain myself from using it," his double replied from beside him. 

"I don't want it either. I'm used to the pain," Ezio replied. He saw Leonardo nod before starting to pull off his robes and the camisa underneath. 

Ezio flinched at the very first touch. This wasn't Leonardo. His touches were different. His friend would usually tell him what he would do first, assure him that everything was alright. Rub small circles over his skin first to let him know that he was going to begin. This... this Leonardo was wrong. Everything was wrong. He wanted his friend. 

"What do you miss about Leonardo?" he heard his double speak from beside him, flinching when he tried to turn himself around to face him. 

"I... you know how the two of you behave? The way Leonardo looks at you. Leo sees me the same way. Do you play chess? Me and Leonardo would play sometimes. Ever since I told him that I did it with Federico. And for someone so smart, he isn't very good." Ezio smiled, turning to face his double as well, barely realising that Leonardo had begun to stitch the wound. 

"I would suppose so. He isn't very good either. He can't plan ahead." His double smiled, rubbing his lover's thigh. 

"I'm more scientifically and socially adapted rather than politics and strategy," Leonardo replied. 

"Si. And even though he doesn't enjoy the game, he never refuses me," Ezio added. 

"He knows that you're missing your family when you ask him," Leonardo softly stated. 

"Seeing the two," Ezio grimaced, when the thread pulled a bit because of his movement, "seeing the two of you together it reminds me so much of him." 

"It's only natural to miss your best friend. What else did you do together?" his double asked. 

"He loves to sketch me. And my armour. And he does so with more precision than any of his commissions. Says that this is far more interesting. And now, he would also begin working for us, in Monteriggioni. I can't wait to go back and find out what he's planned for the city. Even these," he motioned towards his blades, "these wouldn't have been possible either if it wasn't for Leonardo. And you know how he sometimes gets these sudden days of inspiration. When he simply can't focus on anything else. I hate those days. Not because I get ignored in those days. No, in fact I can actually watch Leo work for hours on end without growing bored, as I do something myself too, read or stitch the million gashes that are now present on most of my shirts. Anything really. Maybe just write to Claudia, mamma or zio. But the reason why I hate those days of sudden inspiration is because he forgets to take care of himself. He doesn't eat. Doesn't talk. It worries me... that was why I didn't want him to study the Apple too much either. He's just so passionate... about the things he does. About his work... sometimes I fear that he'll get too lost in them. That they'll consume him." Beside him Ezio heard Leonardo cut the last bit of the horse hair thread, finished stitching. He hadn't even realised when he was being stitched. He had been so immersed in the memories of his best friend. 

Leonardo slowly added some cotton and bandages as he securely wrapped the wound. 

"Thank you," Ezio said, realising what the two had done for him to ease the pain. 

"Nessun problema," Leonardo replied back with a smile. 

"Do you want to stay? I won't let Leo sleep anyway because of my fidgeting. We could talk some more. I like hearing about you two," his double offered kindly. 

"No. The both of us should rest," Ezio replied, not wanting to intrude on their privacy again. 

"Are you sure? You can rest here. Talking to us until you fall asleep," Leonardo coaxed as well. 

But Ezio simply nodded his head no again. "I'm used to being alone. It gives me quiet and peace." 

"As you wish," his double replied politely as he saw Leonardo keep the supplies away. 

"Buonanotte," Ezio said getting up. 

"We'll discuss what we found tomorrow. See if we can do anything to get you back to your Leonardo," his double added with a smile. Not addressing what he implied, Ezio went towards his room with a small nod. 


	7. Chapter 7

"Buongiorno." Ezio squinted his eyes at the familiar man coming inside his room. Blinking his eyes a few more times, he tried to rid himself of his sleepy state. 

"Buongiorno, Leo," Ezio replied with a bright smile. It took him a few moments to realise that this was Leonardo and not his own friend who was waking him up. 

"How is your shoulder?" Leonardo asked with concern, thankfully ignoring his little pet name for his own friend. 

"It feels stiff. And sore. The usual." Ezio tried to shrug his shoulder nonchalantly but flinched backwards at the pain. 

"The pain is there," Leonardo stated. Rubbing his eyes, he saw that the artist had brought some cotton and solvents with him, a basin of water laid out on the desk. 

"I need to change the bandages and clean the wound. See if it is infected," Leonardo said and Ezio began to get up from the bed, leaning against the headboard to make room for the blond. 

"How is Ezio?" Ezio asked as Leonardo took a seat beside him, removing the sheets to place the basin onto the bed. 

"He is in a similar condition. In pain but he won't admit it." Ezio smiled at the artist's statement. Getting a small smirk from Leonardo in return. "I'm already done with him. He's sleeping." 

He let Leonardo slowly take off his shirt, revealing the lightly blood stained gauze. "The bleeding has mostly stopped." Leonardo said with a calm expression. 

"You've always been good at this," Ezio replied, referring to his own best friend. 

"I have to. Before I had only needed to deal with dead bodies but after a certain pesky assassin came into my life I have grown accustomed to this as well," Leonardo replied with an indulgent smile. 

"He must worry you so much." Ezio smiled back. 

"I'm sure you do the same to your best friend," Leonardo replied as he began to unwrap the various layers. 

"Me and Leo don't have the same relationship as you. He's like my brother," Ezio replied, taking a moment to think about whether what he said was true. It was before. Now, however, he wasn't too sure. 

"Doesn't mean that he doesn't worry," Leonardo replied as he analysed the wound. "There seem to be no infections." 

Ezio nodded his head as Leonardo used a clean piece of cotton soaked in some form of distilled spirit to clean the area once again, the stinging sharp pain helping to drive what was left of his sleep away from his mind. Taking a few more pieces, Leonardo began to bandage him back up. 

Just when Leonardo was about to get up, Ezio stopped him by the man's arm. "I'm truly sorry. With everything that has happened because of me. For all the trouble I'm causing. Ezio is hurt 

because of me." 

"It's alright. I know that being here.... Seeing us like this must be difficult for you as well. We're all just trying to make our way through whatever this is. Having the Apple would not only benefit you but us as well. Ezio got hurt because of the mission. There is no one to blame here." Leonardo smiled kindly at him as he took a seat once again on the bed beside him. 

"How do you not worry? A large reason why I've never let anyone get close to me is because I know that I cannot promise to return back safely to them each and every day. How do the two of you not....." Ezio drifted off, trying to find the right words to explain. 

"I have made my peace with it. Every moment that I get to spend with him is a blessing. A gift. Something precious. I could worry each day and keep my distance from him to spare myself from a future heartbreak that may or may not happen. Or I could grab him and kiss him everyday to make each day special for him. Cherish him and what I feel for him. I choose to do the latter. Mortality is a part of each of our lives, maybe a larger of some than others," Leonardo smiled softly in reference to his lover's work before he continued, "But it is no reason to keep myself from having something special with the one I love." 

Ezio nodded in understanding, for the first time seeing how pure their emotions were for each other. Despite the sins and the stigma surrounding it. He had never seen anyone so sure of what they wanted as much as these two were sure of each other. 

"I hope that you've forgiven me. For what happened during that very first day. When I pushed you away," Ezio apologised. 

"Of course. I've already said that you're forgiven. I mean my lover literally punched you for it. It's forgotten a long time ago, trust me." Leonardo laughed, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Si. I don't think I'd ever forget that blow. I..... I mean Ezio really knows how to hit people." Ezio chuckled back softly. 

"Do you.....?" Ezio stopped, wondering if it was appropriate to ask what was going on in his head. 

"What?" Leonardo asked, coaxing him into revealing more. 

"Umm... when you see me, do you feel the same attraction? Like with Ezio?" Ezio asked, still unsure how his query would be taken by the other man. 

Instead of the frown he had been expecting, Leonardo had an amusing smile over his face. "Of course not. I don't love Ezio just because of his looks. I mean believe me, he is the most perfect piece of man I've ever laid my eyes on. Everything about him arouses me to my very core. But merely his appearance wouldn't have been enough to make me fall in love with him. He is different than you. And we have both been through so much together. We have shared memories and experiences. Things that are only ours to share. Si you are Ezio. But you're not my Ezio. As I'm sure I'm not your best friend." 

Ezio could simply nod in response. Staying silent for a long while as his memories turned back to his best friend. About how there had been many moments between them as well that were one of the best of Ezio's life. Even though they weren't anything that needed to be hidden from the world, they were still things that he felt were private to them. The moments when Ezio had let loose more than a few drops of tears during those initial days of becoming an assassin in the warmth of Leonardo's hugs. The ones where Leonardo would complain about his patrons, even the most powerful ones in the presence of his best friend who he was sure wouldn't blabber anything to 

anyone. Where he would curse at Leonardo with words so vulgar that even the thieves and whores would get uncomfortable as Leonardo stitched him up, because he was sure that his friend would know that it was the pain that made him say so without needing any explanations. There were times when he had passed out from his injuries just after crossing the threshold to Leonardo's workshop because he knew that now he was safe. 

"You should go back to sleep as well. I'll bring you both some food once Guida is done with downstairs," Leonardo said bringing Ezio back from his thoughts, once again getting up. Ezio nodded, beginning to lay himself back down on the bed. 

"We need to see what we've found. If yesterday proved to be any fruitful," Ezio stated. 

"Si. Once you're both fed and rested we'll see what you found. Until then, go back to sleep. I saw the records. The ship would reach Antalya next week. If there was anything immediate to be done I would have said so. Don't worry," Leonardo replied, easing some of Ezio's guilt about being injured right now. 

Ezio nodded slightly, careful not to cause much movement to worsen the pain before Leonardo closed the door behind himself. 

After a few more hours of resting, in between which Leonardo brought some food for him, the three of them were sitting in a circle on his bed. 

"It's bound to return earlier this time," Ezio stated as they saw the records they had acquired the previous night. 

"April twenty third," Leonardo said out loud. 

"So right now, they're going to reach Antalya. Which means that they've already found the Apple in Cyprus," his double stated. 

"Si. If it exists here, then it's bound to be on that ship," Ezio added. 

"Well clearly it isn't just to retrieve the Apple. Seeing how many stops it would be making." Leonardo pointed out the various arrests in the ship's journey. 

"It wasn't just destined for Cyprus. This is the ship they're using for a multitude of their illegal trades," his double added. 

"They're going to halt in Bari in October," Leonardo replied, finger marking the date. 

"Probably for delivering slaves," his double added. 

"And it's going to be a long one as well." Ezio quickly showed the departure date. 

"Si. An entire week," his double replied, nodding his head. 

"If you want, we can head for Bari. Eliminate the need to wait until April when we know that the Apple is in there," Leonardo suggested. 

"Travelling to Bari would take a month at the very least," his double interrupted. 

"Well. We have the time," Ezio replied. "First we can go to Ravenna. From there about three weeks horseback to Bari." 

"Si. Certainly better than spending such a long time in a ship." His double scrunched his nose at the 

very thought of being confined in a tiny vessel for that long. 

"Reaching Ravenna would take at least two weeks. And we don't have any reservations." Leonardo pointed out their main concern. 

"I'm sure Antonio can figure something. It's not like we're the only ones interested in acquiring the Apple. I do not think the thieves would like to see such a powerful artifact in Templar possession either. Especially after having spent such a long time to free Venezia from their grasp," his double explained getting a nod from Leonardo. 

Ezio refrained himself from revealing the fact that Antonio himself was an assassin. It wasn't his secret to tell. He did however let the two know about another crucial information. "Venezia, Firenze. It was all a distraction. A carefully orchestrated plan to keep the Assassins away from the Piece of Eden." 

"But how is that...?" his double trailed off. 

"It was too late by the time I found out as well. Rodrigo had sent his men to claim the Apple for himself. To fulfill the prophecy. With prior knowledge, something that I did not have, I hope that you would have more success in avenging your family than I did. I got the Apple but couldn't kill Rodrigo. I hope you do both. End this once and for all." Ezio patted on his double's shoulder. 

"So father, Federico and Petruccio...." 

"All a mere distraction. To get the Apple. Although I still don't know what he plans to do with it. And I don't ever want to find out. Hopefully I won't. And neither would you. Kill that bastardo when he arrives here in Venezia in hopes of getting the Apple from the ship. Be ready. Use your allies. Use the Apple for all I care. But end him. Do what I couldn't. What I still need to," Ezio explained. 

"If you use the Apple, would it disappear from our world," his double asked hurriedly. 

"I don't think so. Or else I'd have it with me when I arrived here," Ezio replied, praying to all gods that it was the truth. Or else they'd be in a very uncomfortable situation right now. 

"You said that it was an accident. How do you plan on using it again? With the guarantee that it would take you back home?" Leonardo asked curiously. 

"I don't know. I guess we'll see once we get it," Ezio replied with a shrug. 

"We can't use it in Bari. I think it would be best if we came back to Venezia before we use it," Leonardo added. 

"Si. Bari isn't safe. In fact it would be even better if we went to Monteriggioni," his double added. 

"No. The Apple transported you here for a reason, it makes sense for it to take you back from the same place," Leonardo argued. 

"I still don't understand why the ship's arriving early in the first place. It doesn't make any sense," Ezio replied, trying to think of a way to ensure that he wouldn't just get transported to another new realm again. 

"Why? Many things are different here," his double asked quizzically. 

"If the Apple is here then the prophecy has to be fulfilled as well. If you get the Apple before..... I 

just... I don't want the two of you to suffer the consequences." 

"What prophecy?" Both his double as well as Leonardo exclaimed at the same time. 

"The Prophet will appear when the second piece is brought to the floating city," Ezio recalled. 

"I don't understand," his double replied. 

"According to everyone, we are the Prophet. If you get the Apple before...." Ezio tried to explain. 

"Perhaps the prophecy for this world is different. A lot of things are. Or maybe Ezio is not the prophet here. Or he'll just get it early. There are still many things we're unsure of," Leonardo replied, easing some of Ezio's worries. 

Now was not the time to think of these things. Getting back home was what mattered. He fulfilled the prophecy, and what did it result in? Rodrigo was still alive. These two were right. He was worrying about things that didn't matter right now. 

"I'll talk to Antonio to arrange that ship. Without anyone else finding out. If Rodrigo finds out that we know of the Apple, I might miss my chance to kill him next year. Or whenever it is that the ship does arrive," his double explained. 

"Just tell him to use some aliases for all three of us. And we need to make sure that nobody sees your faces. One of you would have to wear a hood at all times," Leonardo added. 

"You're coming with us?" Ezio asked with an incredulous expression on his face. 

"Si. If it concerns the Piece of Eden then I want to come as well," Leonardo replied without any hesitation in his expressions. 

"It's dangerous, Leo," his double replied as well, agreeing with Ezio. 

"I don't care. I want to come," Leonardo said stubbornly. 

"What about your workshop here?" Ezio asked. 

"It won't be the first time. I travelled with Ezio to Monteriggioni before. I'll think of some excuse," Leonardo replied. 

"I don't want to put you in any danger," Ezio replied, knowing that he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if Leonardo, even this Leonardo somehow got hurt because of his own actions. 

"You're not. It's my decision. I won't cause any problems. But I want to come. I want to see this Apple as it works," Leonardo replied. 

"Leo we're both assassini. You're not. I want you to be safe here. We'll return here anyway before doing anything with the Piece of Eden," his double coaxed again. 

"I know. But I want to. Caro please. It would give me some time to study it. We don't even know what would happen there. If the Templars found out then I would lose my chance forever. Venezia isn't safe either. And yet I've been here for these past few years haven't I? Per favore Ezio," Leonardo urged his lover, holding his hand. 

"You will stay at another location. I can't risk you being at Bari. If everything goes alright we'll come back to you. If not then you'd leave for Venezia the very next day," his double said with a grave expression that told his lover that this was non negotiable. 

"Si. Prometto. I trust you. I know you'll come back safely to me. I won't have to come back here without you." Leonardo smiled, sandwiching Ezio's hand within both of his own ones. 

"I'll send a letter to Monteriggioni as well. Let both Claudia and zio know. And I'm telling them everything. About you and your identity, the Apple everything. This thing is bigger than us. My family deserves to know," his double informed him. 

"Si, certo. That's what we had agreed on anyway. For you to tell them if the Piece of Eden turns out to be real." Ezio nodded, completely agreeing with his double's decision. 

"When do we depart then?" his double asked. 

"As soon as we can get that ship to Ravenna," Ezio replied with confidence. 

"We'd need to arrive at least a week earlier, to plan out the attack, assess the area, account for any changes to the ship's schedule, make provisions," his double pointed out. 

"Six weeks. That leaves us with two weeks here. We have to leave by the next two weeks," Ezio replied anxiously. 

"We will. It's plenty of time. In fact if all goes well we can leave the following week itself," Leonardo assured him. 

"Wouldn't they find out though? If the Apple is missing?" his doubled asked, furrowing his eyebrows. 

"It's in an ornate box. No one would know until and unless they check inside. And Rodrigo had forbidden any one from doing so when I carried it with me under the disguise of a guard. So the odds of anyone finding out are very low," Ezio explained, trying to remember any other details of the ship that might help them. 

"Don't worry, we'll figure things out once we get there. Improvise," his double replied, recognising his expression. 

"We don't even know whether the Apple is there or not. The manifest doesn't have anything," Ezio replied, trying not to get his hopes up. 

"Well they wouldn't exactly list the Piece of Eden in the manifest. The passenger list clearly has the names of Silvio and Dante. I'm sure there are other templars listed here as well. And the goods sent from Venezia are the only things listed here. Those coming back to Venezia are listed in the manifest from Cyprus. The one present in the ship. We'd know for sure once we reach Bari," Leonardo explained, trying to cheer him up. Or at the very least keep him from deflating too much. 

"Right now, the two of you need to get better and we need to prepare for our journey. I'll shop for provisions. Things for the journey," Leonardo added. 

"Alright. I'll go talk to Antonio in the evening as well as inform zio. Let them know of our decision. Until then, you try to formulate a plan as well as try to remember anything that might be useful." With that both Leonardo and his double left the room. 


	8. Chapter 8

Leaning on the bulwarks, Ezio saw the image of Venezia getting smaller and smaller from the main deck of the ship. The next two weeks would be extremely annoying. This was only one of the many reasons why he didn't like Venezia. But after having spent the past few years travelling frequently to Venezia, he had grown somewhat tolerant to being enclosed in a ship for weeks at a time. 

"She is beautiful, isn't she?" Leonardo replied from beside his double, who was not wearing a hood, unlike him who had a plain white robe over himself to obscure his face. 

"Si. If you can get over the smell and humidity," his double snorted from beside him. "Truly Leo, how can you ever compare her to bella Firenze?" 

"Every place has its own beauty. She isn't called La Serenissima for nothing." Leonardo hummed with appreciation. 

"Did you paint the city? For Madonna dell'Orto?" Ezio asked with his eyes still on the city. 

"No. They asked me to paint one of Madonna," Leonardo replied. 

"One that you never finished," his double kindly added with a teasing smile. 

"If we start counting the paintings that I didn't finish then our days on the ship would grow short," Leonardo replied with an uncaring shrug of his shoulders. 

"Leo didn't finish it either. He moved to Milano just a few weeks later," Ezio replied with a smile. "Have you worked in Milano? Under Ludovico Sforza." 

"Si. When I was still in Firenze. When Lorenzo asked me to deliver the lyre I had made. I stayed for a few months but was employed by Venezia's naval forces soon after," Leonardo replied as all three of them turned around to face each other rather than the lagoon before them. 

"Leo left after coming to Venezia. In 1486, a few weeks after the Carnevale. In fact he returned right on my birthday. The day I got news of the Apple being brought in Venezia," Ezio explained, wondering how many more things would turn out to be different here. 

"He stayed for a lot longer. I actually have plans for returning to Milano again if my work here in Venezia comes to an end," Leonardo replied. 

"I'll take anywhere that isn't near the sea," his double replied. 

"As if you would leave me if it is." Leonardo smiled indulgently at his lover. 

"You won't get rid of me that easily," his double replied with a happy smirk. 

"I wouldn't get rid of you for the world," Leonardo replied and the two slipped into an easy conversation between lovers. 

Ezio could see how normal the two of them appeared in public. Nothing more than friends. There were no brief touches, longing glances or endearing names. They even had separate berths here at the ship. And said that they would pay for separate rooms when they would eventually use the land for the rest of the way of their travel. They were going to have to refrain themselves from 

touching each other for several days here on the boat. From what Ezio had gathered over the few weeks he'd spent here, the people in this world were just as hostile to sodomites as he is. Or was prior to meeting these two. If these two weren't careful, there was a very good chance that they'd find themselves on the gallows. 

It made him sad to think that these two would never be able to enjoy the same things as a man and woman do. They would never have a grandeur wedding. Nor would they ever have an heir to continue their family. Leonardo doesn't have a family name to continue but the Auditore name would end in this world with his double's death. Why would anyone want to sacrifice so much? And yet when he saw his double laugh, Leonardo smile, they had the most genuine expressions he had ever witnessed. The two were obviously oblivious to the world around them. Perhaps they didn't care. They already had what mattered the most to them. 

"I still remember the first time." Ezio heard as his double said something. "I had never been in a ship before." 

"I never realised this before but there have been so many things that we've done together for the first time." Leonardo smiled. 

"You mean the trip from Forli?" Ezio added, wanting to know what they were talking of. 

"Si." Leonardo smiled with his eyes on the horizon. "And Ezio barely got entry." 

"You did not seem to mind when we got the luxurious rooms instead of the simple quarter you had for yourself," his double replied in mock offense. 

"Si. And you did not, at all whore yourself up for it," Leonardo replied with a mischievous grin. 

"Helping a lady in need isn't whoring myself," his double argued. 

"In my defence, she didn't look like she would have stopped when you said no," Leonardo replied. 

"All I did was flirt with her a little while helping her. That's not whoring. I needed to get that pass. And she did stop when I declined her offers," his double countered. 

"Only to ask whether the two of us would be willing to join her together in bed." Leonardo shook his head incredulously. 

"I still don't understand how she found out about our relations," his double replied, genuinely perturbed. 

"La contessa is an observant woman," Leonardo replied. 

"And generous," his double added with a grin. 

"So did you?" Ezio didn't think his words through as they left his mouth. 

"Did we...?" Leonardo coaxed. 

"Join her you mean?" his double asked shamelessly. Without waiting for an answer, he started, "No. We aren't into such things. I could introduce you to her if you wish." His double smirked. 

"I know her as well actually. Although there were no proposals of joining anyone anywhere. She just helped me get the pass while promising future pleasures. If the boat wasn't about to leave perhaps I would have." Ezio knew that would have gladly agreed if such an offer had presented 

itself to him. 

"Was it your first time near the sea as well?" Leonardo asked curiously. 

Nodding his head, Ezio replied, "It was. Leo was with me too. I found him near the Apennine Mountains. I didn't know that he was moving. And I had decided to leave for Venezia that very week, so I didn't have a pass either. That's how I met Caterina. I helped her and she provided a pass for my travels." 

"It was a little different for us. I knew Leo was going to leave but I wasn't supposed to accompany him. It was only a few weeks prior that I found out that Rodrigo was moving onto Venezia. Which was why I didn't have the tickets or the pass. We travelled together and I was sure we'd figure something out. And we did," his double explained. 

"I still remember it when we started to sail." Leonardo nodded in agreement. 

"Si. I hadn't expected it to be so boring. I loved it at first but you can only watch the water for so long. I was so glad that we had that room," his double added with a smirk. Instead of blushing Leonardo leaned slightly closer to his double and lowered his voice to say something that Ezio couldn't hear. Leonardo got a sheepish smile from his double in return. 

Ezio realised how much he himself had enjoyed Leonardo's company during their travel to Venezia from Forli, especially when he compared it to the trips when he had no one there to accompany him. Leonardo had introduced him to others on the ship despite having met them that very day himself. His friend had always been better at socialising than he was, wise and witty, a charm that easily enamoured others to him. He remembered one particular lady who had spent most of the days on the ship with his friend. She was from Veneto, in Belluno. That had been how Ezio came to know that Leonardo spoke the Venetan dialect as well. Or more like had learnt it when he had decided to accept the commission from Venezia. 

They did become very good friends during the trip. Leonardo had even taken her to his room to show her a few of his sketches. Suddenly the idea of his best friend alone with some bella donna wasn't sitting right with Ezio. Did Leonardo sleep with her? They had been in his room for quite a while. Why did Ezio even care? But then Leonardo had never shown any such interests. Maybe they were truly discussing art. Ezio had always wondered how it was that Leonardo was celibate. Maybe he wasn't afterall. 

Why was it feeling like he doesn't know his friend? And why did the very thought of Leonardo being with someone else feel enough to make Ezio angry? He realised that his fingers had gone white as he clasped tightly onto the railings. Why did he care? Of course he would care. Leonardo was his best friend. It was probably the idea of Leonardo hiding things from him that made him react this way. Si. Nothing else to it. He just wanted his friend to be truthful. Nothing more. 

And he was worrying about nothing. Leonardo would never lie to him. God knows there had been many instances where Ezio had boasted about the women he had been with and Leonardo simply rolled his eyes at him, or made fun of how hedonistic Ezio was or was simply too busy, wrapped up in his own world to notice. Now that he thought about it, Leonardo had never been angry at hearing his little trysts. And he didn't know why but Ezio wanted him to be angry. Wanted him to tell Ezio to shut up. The same anger that Ezio had felt mere moments ago while thinking of Leonardo being intimate with another. 

Ezio knew that he was starting to become physically attracted to his best friend. In a way that wasn't right. Over these past few weeks of being here, he had indulged in many fantasies involving the artist. He hardly pictured women anymore when his hands drifted downwards during the 

nights. But after his finish he would be overtaken by shame and guilt. But those had just been sexual fantasies. Things he knew he could control. But outside of his bed this was the first time he was accepting these feelings towards Leonardo. 

"I think I'll just go downstairs and rest for a while," Ezio stated as he started to grow bored of the scenery before him, the other two lost among themselves as they talked about their past travels. 

The rest of the days at the ship were similarly uneventful for Ezio. Back at Leonardo's workshop, it had been easy to ignore these two, ignore the feelings they brought forth from within himself towards his own best friend. He could just go in his own room when he missed Leonardo. But now... now he had to spend most of his time with them. And every moment was beginning to make him realise of just how much he wanted to have this very relation with his own best friend. 

Not just the friendly conversations but the loving touches. He missed Leonardo the most when these two talked about their past. Things that felt so similar and yet not quite right. He wanted someone to talk to. Because slowly he was starting to realise something extremely significant about his relationship with Leonardo. Each passing night was plagued with dreams of his best friend, with the two of them being completely enamoured with each other. All he wanted was to at least talk to Leonardo. He had been the one to whom Ezio had always turned to wherever something was troubling him. He could speak his mind with ease around his best friend. And yet this time... with this thing, he couldn't tell if Leonardo would be ready to listen.. to support him. 

He couldn't even try to talk to the other passengers or else he would risk being detected. Even the times that he tried to spend alone were plagued with thoughts of Leonardo. Of every thing that they had done together and everything that he wanted to do to him once he reached home. And of his fears about Leonardo being disgusted with him when he found out Ezio's desires. 

By the time the ship reached Ravenna, all three of them were thoroughly and utterly bored of the sea. It was already well past evening when they landed. And it didn't surprise anyone when his double suggested that they rest in an albergo for the night. He was sure that the two of them were already undressed and going at it by the time he entered his own room. Or perhaps they didn't even bother with getting naked. As much as it should have worried him, Ezio had gotten quite used to the idea of them being sodomites. How could he not? He couldn't be a hypocrite after all when all his fantasies these days were plagued with his best friend's images.

"How did you two fall in love?" Ezio asked abruptly as all three of them began to eat in front of the small fire that they'd built. 

They had stopped in the middle of nowhere for the night because Rimini, the next city they would halt at was still at least half a day's ride away and neither his double nor Leonardo were too eager 

about the idea of stopping in a hamlet where people were suspicious of outsiders. He couldn't blame them either. Even when he travelled alone he tried to avoid the villages. Everyone knew each and every other person and blending in them was difficult. Not to mention that people were very interested in finding out more about the strangers who had come to their humble little area. 

He saw his double and Leonardo share a look, the one where they could understand what was going on in the other's mind. Placing his bit of bread down onto his plate Leonardo answered, "It wasn't some grand gesture. Not much to tell I'm afraid." 

"Still. There has to be something worth mentioning," Ezio urged on. 

"We became very good friends right from the beginning," Leonardo replied. 

"Si. And I didn't have a lot of people to talk to. Everyone expected things from me. Leo was the only one who wanted to listen. To simply be there. To help," his double added before taking a sip of wine from the bottle they were sharing. 

"Work would often bring me to Firenze. Despite having grown up there, the people felt foreign, the places hostile. I always needed to wear a hood. And Leo was the one I started to trust. You don't need me to tell you about this. You already know based on your own experience with your best friend," his double replied. 

"But how did you know that you were in love? Leo and I have been friends for more than ten years now and yet I had never realised....... it doesn't matter." Ezio stopped himself before revealing too much about his recent emotional turmoils. 

"I have always been attracted to men," Leonardo confessed. Ezio nodded, staying silent. This must have been something very difficult to admit to a stranger and Ezio wanted to show that he respected their trust. 

"And I've always liked both. Gender didn't matter much as long as both me and my partner had a good time. I had already done things with a few of my friends before I met Leo. I am from Firenze after all," his double confessed as well with a smirk, trying to lighten the topic. 

"We would usually be occupied about thoughts of each other. And we'd spend more and more time together," Leonardo explained. 

"As much as we could, that is, given how difficult it was for both of us to spare time," his double added. Ezio could see that they were looking at each other rather than him as they spoke. 

"And we just.... we knew what we had was something beyond friendship." Leonardo smiled towards his lover as his double slowly laced their fingers together. 

"He has seen me at my worst. At my best. I have cried in front of Leonardo after losing my family, losing my home. I had triumphed in front of him when I killed Uberto. I didn't feel like I needed to act around him. I could be a killer in front of Leo and I could be a seventeen year old boy. I could be the man who lost his father and brothers without getting unwanted sympathy in return. I didn't have to be brave, like in Monteriggioni. I didn't have to be charming like with my targets. I didn't have to hold myself back from revealing the killer inside like with my previous lovers. I could be who I felt like, without needing to think of the consequences." He saw them slowly smile at each other, lost to his presence as his double continued. 

"Leo has seen me gloat when I finished a mission. We've gone to taverns to celebrate whenever he got a new commission from a patron. We've misbehaved with each other. Hell we've even hit each 

other when we've fought. He has slapped me when I spoke of trying to end things once and for all. I've punched him when he tried to stop me from killing each and everyone who's had even the slightest part in my family's death. I had unintentionally hurt him when I pushed him away from his desk to see the letters he had been hiding, the ones he had gotten from the Signoria before Uberto's death, about witnesses having seen him aiding me." Ezio saw his double unconsciously bringing their joined palms together to kiss Leonardo's hand gently. And Ezio realised just how much history they had with each other. 

"We had talked of previous lovers. Of men who interested us when we walked on the street together in the evenings when we were simply friends, of women who interested me. I told him things about women only to amuse myself as he would scrunch up his nose...." He saw his double smile as he pointed out Leonardo doing just that. "Si, like that. We've gotten drunk together. I've taken care of his angry patrons for him. He's talked to Lorenzo when I returned back to Firenze for the first time after half of my family was killed to give Il Magnifico my message. We've swore together, laughed together. He has been beaten by guards because of me. And I have beaten people because they dared to insult him. We......" Ezio saw his double breathe, trying to say the million things that he still had left to share. 

Leonardo instead continued their story, "It would have been stupid to have not realised it. And we didn't even need any special moment. Ezio came from Monteriggioni one day. I asked him, as usual what brought him in Firenze this time. All he said was that he came because of me." 

"And we didn't need any more words. We both knew it. Of course we both knew it. And it wasn't romantic either. We were on each other within seconds. Not even taking off each other's clothes as we rubbed together between panting and kissing. And we were done shortly after as well. It was probably the fastest either of us had ever come. And it was probably also the worst sex either one of us had had - quick, sticky, without any control, neither of us remembers even half of it. And yet we were smiling like complete and utter idiots against each other afterwards because of how glorious it had felt. Basking in each other's proximity. It didn't matter that it wasn't perfect. Because the fact that it was Leo against me was what mattered. The fact that we were so in love that there was no embarrassment left was what mattered. We had many years to become perfect for each other. In fact we were biting and groaning again only seconds later and...umm.. you probably don't need to hear...." his double started to shut himself up from providing any more details that might make Ezio feel disgusted, rectifying himself after having had lost himself in the moment for a while. 

Instead Ezio, now completely enraptured in the two of them nodded his head in a furious no, clasping his double's hand as he urged, "No. Tell me... I want to know." 

He saw his double look at his lover with uncertainty. Leonardo had the same expression on his own face. Neither of them wanted to indulge into revealing their personal moments with him, who was essentially still a stranger. 

"I need to know." Ezio continued, "I think I... please..." Ezio replied, not wanting to utter those words yet. Not wanting to admit to himself yet. 

"No. If you want to realise what you feel about yourself then you need to figure it out yourself. I don't want you to look back and realise that it had all been a mistake. That you acted under our influence," his double replied with an unwavering expression. 

"You asked us about us. And we told you. In fact Ezio should have stopped much earlier. But neither of us want you to have preconceived notions based on what you see in us. In our relations," Leonardo explained and Ezio could only hang his head low, staring down at the food that had been 

ignored for a good fifteen minutes now. 

"What if he hates me after I tell him? Disgusts me the way I did when I first found out about you both," Ezio asked, unwilling to meet either set of eyes before him as he finally admitted what he felt towards his best friend for the first time. 

"You would know. He's your best friend after all," Leonardo replied before his double added, "You have to have at least that much trust in your friendship. In your friend." They all fell silent. The two of them giving him some time and peace to think even though they stayed nearby. 


	9. Chapter 9

"Promise me that you'll go back if something goes wrong." Ezio stood a little away from the couple as his double asked his lover, their foreheads almost touching as they spoke. 

"I know you'll come back unharmed," Leonardo replied before pulling his double into a kiss full of hope, confidence and promises, sincerely nodding his head yes to his double's previous question. 

They had planned everything. Mapped out the area. Leonardo was going to stay a few hours away from Bari. Between the city and Molfetta, to remain undetected and still stay close to call for help if anything bad happened. They had chosen a small farmland whose inhabitants had long left the place. It was secluded and most importantly, it was safe. They had kept Leonardo's horse with him in case he needed to leave. Even though they all knew that they'd be back before dawn. It wouldn't be any other way. Each of them could feel it. 

"You will stay safe too, si?" Leonardo asked Ezio. 

"Of course." Ezio nodded his head with sincerity, knowing that the past few days had brought them all much closer to each other. 

After saying goodbye to Leonardo, the two mounted on their respective horses, both armed to the teeth as they made their way towards the port. The plan was simple. They had found out that the slaves were going to be unloaded tonight. There would be more than enough commotion for them to slip in undetected. His double and Ezio would find the artifact inside the vessel, working together and taking down anyone who came in their way. 

It wouldn't be too difficult seeing as how they had already acquired the manifest of the items returning from Cyprus. They had assumed correctly, the ship wasn't just one used by Rodrigo to acquire the Apple. It was the one they used for a lot of their activities, from trade of slaves to the smuggling of weapons from the Lavant. As much as they both wanted to stop everything that provided financial gain to the Templars, they knew that they couldn't risk it. Not now, with the Piece of Eden on the line. 

During the ride Ezio thought of how his interactions had changed with Leonardo and his double. His curiosity had known no bounds as he kept questioning them about how it was that men loved. He never dared to ask anything of a sexual nature, but they would usually exchange stories of their past with each other. He would tell them stories of himself and Leo. His double would graciously point out that the two of them were truly idiots for not seeing what was right before them for the fear of society. Leonardo instead told him about how to look for signs of a man's attraction, actually trying to help him unlike his double who only explained things in explicit detail to make Ezio stutter and blush as the bastardo laughed at him. 

The horses were tied a good kilometer away from the port, just outside the city. They had to do this quietly. They could not risk getting detected. Putting their hoods up over their heads, the two advanced with caution. They stood over a roof just a few meters away from the dock, menacing in both their postures. Ezio took another look at the ship's manifest. The entry for the Apple was made under the many spices that were being brought into Venezia. And surprisingly it wasn't even categorised as being brought in through Cyprus. Rather Constantinople. They were trying to hide the Apple's arrival. But all it took for Ezio was to switch his sight and the entry was glowing golden before his eyes. 

"The slaves are being unloaded from the front," his double said as they watched the sheer number 

of guards standing within the area. "We'll have to swim towards the other side. To remain undetected." 

"Si. Let's go," Ezio replied as they both dropped down from the roof's ledge. 

They were silent, working with perfect harmony as they walked through the area, careful to stay undetected. There were at least fifty guards, half of them inside the vessel. The two of them first infiltrated a sailing ship that was halted next to the Templar vessel. Diving into the water, much to both of their displeasure, they quickly swam towards the adjoining ship. Lodging their daggers into the large wooden planks, they hoisted themselves up over the smooth and slippery surface of the ship's rounded hull. 

There were two guards at the rear end, standing right over their heads, bickering about having to work the night shift. Both Ezio and his double climbed up until they safely reached the gunports, where they no longer needed their daggers to support their weight. With a silent nod at each other, the two advanced upwards, moving away from each other before climbing up over the ship, right behind the two guards. Only seconds later Ezio had his right hand muffling one of the guard's screams while using the left hidden blade to slice his throat. When he was sure there would be no more sound from his victim, he dumped the body into the water, smiling at his double as he watched him do the exact same thing as the water splashed loudly below them. Thankfully, the commotion between the slaves and the guards was enough to mute the sound. 

"Lower cargo area," his double stated before they began to walk towards the stairs leading down into the lower deck. There was a guard at the stairs who swiftly met his end as Ezio threw his dagger down the man's chest, right into his heart. The next one got his spine sliced clean by his double's blade. Both pairs of bodies were thrown down into the sea once again before they advanced lower to the now empty floor. The upper floor, they realised, mainly held rooms for the workers, guards and the oarsmen. The huge cabin in the front was for the ship's captain. While there were stairs adjacent to the entrance to the worker's sleeping quarters that lead downstairs, to the cargo deck. 

There were hundreds of different wooden containers, each of the same size, containing various exported goods, most of which they knew were illegal from medicines to spices, ink and cloth. Luckily for them, the manifest had the exact carton number specified which contained the Piece of Eden. He saw his double use his vision once, eyes turning a liquid gold and proceeded to do the same. They didn't have time to search for the box. 

The small sphere glowed bright in their vision as both made their way towards the carton containing it. Switching back to their normal eyesight, the two got to work, removing the boxes above to free up the one that held the artifact. It didn't take much time to find the familiar box. Ezio opened it up to make sure that the Apple was indeed inside. He felt himself smile with triumph, not because the artifact was here, but because for the first time in these past three months he knew he would finally be able to go home. To the people he missed so dearly. 

The artifact was burning bright, just like the last time he had held it, encased carefully in a pillows made of feathers lined with dark velvet, the sheer contrast against the glow making it seem as formidable as he knew it to be. He felt his double shaking him up from his trance. 

"This is it, isn't it?" his double asked, eyes gleaming under the golden glow that emanated from the artifact. 

"Si." Ezio nodded and saw as his double close the lid once again. 

"We need to leave," his double said and they quickly made their way back up, using the same path 

to exit the ship.

"Do you have it?" the two heard as Leonardo came towards them, running to hug his lover into a tight embrace as they dismounted from their horses. 

"Si." His double smiled before hugging his lover back, whispering something down his ear before Leonardo said something back with a smile. 

"You're both alright?" Leonardo asked, as he began to roam his hands over his lover's body to check for any signs of injuries. Apparently, his double had a bad habit of trying to hide his pains to spare Leonardo from worrying. 

"I'm fine, Leo. When would you stop worrying about me?" his double sighed. 

"When I'm dea...." Ezio watched as his double quickly kissed Leonardo's lips to shut him up. "Don't say that. Never say that," his double murmured against Leonardo's full lips who just nodded in return. 

"Can I see it?" Leonardo asked as Ezio pulled away. Revealing the small cubical box containing the mysteriously glowing sphere. 

"I don't think we should do anything with it. Not until we're back in Venezia," Ezio suggested as Leonardo carefully observed the artifact, staring enraptured but not making any move to touch it or do anything else with it. His gaze made him look like someone who was studying something dangerous. Calculated and ready for any surprise. 

"You're right," his double replied, getting a nod from Leonardo as well before he closed the container once again, the glow disappearing at once. The only thing now illuminating them was the fire Leonardo had made for them. 

"When should we leave?" Leonardo asked as his double placed the box back inside his robe. 

"Right after dawn breaks," Ezio replied. 

"We still have about an hour or two to go until then. The two of you must be tired. Get some rest. I'll keep watch," Leonardo replied as all three began to sit down near the flames dancing in the dark. 

Now that Ezio knew that he would return back home soon, he felt a bittersweet feeling enwrap him. As desperate as Ezio was to get back home, he realised that he would miss these two. More so than he had thought he would. Leonardo sat before the flames while he saw his double lay his head over the artist's lap, head staring up at the starry sky. Again, Ezio felt his heart clench at the sight. Something so simple and domestic and yet he felt himself craving for his best friend's touch with everything that he had. 

"I'll miss you both," Ezio said, his voice disturbing the crackling sound of the wood burning. 

"We'll miss you too," his double reached out to him with an arm before pulling him down to lay down as well, beside where Leonardo was sitting. Ezio complied, laying down just beside his double as he folded both arms below his head to elevate his head up, looking at the heavens above. 

"Can we ask something of you, Ezio?" Leonardo asked as he carded his hands through his lover's hair, having had already removed the red ribbon. 

"Anything. You've both done a lot for me these past few months," Ezio replied without even needing to think about it. 

"Would you at least try to talk to Leonardo? When you reach back. Give yourselves a chance," Leonardo asked, genuine hope in his voice. 

"He would be disgusted by me. I.... What if I lose his friendship?" Ezio replied honestly, turning to his side to face them both. 

"You won't. From what we've both observed and heard of you and your Leonardo the two of you aren't much different from us. You don't have to indulge in sins. But you obviously love him. Just tell him. Even without sex I can guarantee that you will be happier," his double replied, holding onto his hand. 

Ezio laughed brokenly at the advice. "That's the problem isn't it. I don't disgust it anymore. I want to make love to him. Tell him everything I feel." 

"So?" his double furrowed his eyebrows in anger as he turned to look at him as well, his head still on his lover's lap. 

"He's celibate. I can't risk ruining our friendship. He means too much to me," Ezio replied. 

"He won't be angry. He's your best friend," Leonardo replied. 

"I don't want to lose what we have," Ezio replied, eyes glazed as he thought of what it would be like from now on when he returned back home. To yearn for someone who was mere meters away from him. To hide his feelings from the man who knew him better than he did himself. 

"Will it be painful?" Ezio finally succumbed. After three months of keeping his curiosity at bay, he finally asked. 

"It would. If done wrong," Leonardo replied. 

"How would I.... I would never ask things of him that might hurt him," Ezio replied. 

"Use a lot of oil," his double explained crudely. "A lot. More than you think. And then use some more. And just feel each other. You'll know if it's right. It'll feel right. If it hurts too much... beyond your or his tolerance then stop. And keep talking at first, voice your discomfort. That's how you'll know if you're both comfortable." 

Ezio nodded quietly in understanding. 

Now that his double was giving genuine advice and was pleased to see Ezio actually listening instead of either shying away or getting uncomfortable his double continued, "You should probably use a clyster on yourself beforehand. Or Leonardo. Whoever wishes to be the one to receive....." 

When Ezio arched his eyebrows, his double explained, "It would be cleaner and easier. I'm sure you would have no problem..... just buy one with the pig's bladder from a dottore, pay extra if they 

get suspicious like you do with poisons and ask them how to use it. Again, use more oil than you think you need. In fact Leonardo has made a few ones just for us to use. Crafted such that one can do it themselves." 

Ezio nodded sincerely in understanding as his double smiled, "Never imagined sinning to be so tedius, huh?" 

"Is it worth it?" Ezio asked curiously. 

"Definitely," his double replied, before adding, "There are a few ancient Roman books. I'm sure Paola would have them if you wish to know more." 

"And if nothing else, you have your mouth and your hands. There are many ways to love, to show him how much you love him," Leonardo added with a kind smile. 

Ezio still had doubts on his mind. He would have to think this over and over again. This was his best friend. The one person he now knew he loved. He couldn't let impulses guide him. He had to be sure of his actions. If he did decide to act on his feelings he knew that everything would change. Their interactions, their friendship, everything. 

Apparently Leonardo had read his expressions for what they were as he tried to ease some of his worries. "Do you feel that me and Ezio aren't friends? That we have lost something because of our love?" 

"He has been my best friend for more than ten years now. Even if he does accept my feelings... returns it, even then things would change. There would be a hesitation between us. And there is so much history. He knows all the things that I use to court a woman. He has seen it all. He knows it all," Ezio explained. 

"Well our love is an extension of the friendship that we have. It isn't any different. We are still just as good friends as we were before," Leonardo replied. 

"Better even," his double replied sleepily as he buried his head even further inside Leonardo's lap, nuzzling the artist's thigh as he started to fall asleep. 

"Si. And the fact that he knows it all should be a relief. You won't have to pretend. To compromise. To keep your actions in check for the fear of losing him," Leonardo replied. 

Beginning to once again play with his lover's hair, lulling his double into sleep, Leonardo added, "Ezio has told you about the good times. But there were difficulties as well that we overcame. There have been fights. When I was moving to Venezia we stopped talking for an entire month. He couldn't bear the idea of staying so far away from me. And we both knew he couldn't just accompany me wherever my work took me. We are both from different worlds. We lead different lives. An assassin and an artist. Initially we both knew that we were kidding ourselves....." Leonardo stopped for a moment. 

"But things worked out. He got sent to Venezia as well, si?" Ezio asked. 

"No. That was a month later. We had come to our own conclusion first. I had proposed of sticking to us being friends. We could exchange letters. Be with others in the meantime. He had me shut up with a glare. Told me there were no others. That there would never be. That he wanted fidelity even if we had to stay away from each other for years. We were both too much in love anyway. No other would be even barely satisfying." 

"What did you decide then?" Ezio asked with curiosity. 

"Visits. That we would meet when we got the time. That we would always be truthful, even if we didn't love each other anymore. Even if we found someone else. We were both prepared for it. These things happen but we would not have tolerated any lies from each other, even if we stopped loving each other. Trust was what it was based on. And Ezio had told me that I would be the first one he'd come to once his family was avenged. And until then it would have to be enough. He had almost demanded me to stay. To not accept the commission in Venezia. But he didn't. He knew I couldn't stay away from my work. He wouldn't do that to me. And I would never ask him to leave his family, not the ones in Monteriggioni and not the ones who are still alive in his heart," Leonardo replied. 

"Do you think you would have lasted? If he didn't need to come to Venezia?" Ezio asked, having by now moved slightly closer to the sleeping body of his double's. Just like himself, his double was a light sleeper. His chest rising and falling slowly, peaceful in Leonardo's lap. 

With a small and understanding smile on his face, Leonardo replied, "The Templars moving to Venezia was just a happy coincidence. Even then, there were months and even years when Ezio was in Firenze or Monteriggioni. And yet we've lasted. It wasn't like we could have had a normal relationship anyway. We're both men. People would never accept us. But we still remained loyal. We used letters. We worked as much as we could when it got lonely, not to keep our minds from drifting off of each other but to keep ourselves from missing each other so much. I would wait for when he got the time to come back. Sometimes I would accompany him to Monteriggioni, whenever I had other duties to take care of in Vinci or Firenze. And it was hard. I'm not going to lie. It's difficult. But it's also worth it. What I'm trying to tell you is that it isn't easy. It'll never be as easy as it is to marry a woman and spend a happy life. You won't get to do that anyway because you're an assassin as well. But it's not impossible. And it would never happen if you don't try. If you don't talk. If you live in fear. Just talk with Leonardo. He would listen. He would... I know he would if he truly is your best friend. And if he doesn't even give you a chance then perhaps you deserve someone better." 


	10. Chapter 10

"How would we know that you're safe?" his double asked as they stood in Leonardo's workshop. The same place where he had woken up in this world almost five months ago. 

"You won't," Ezio replied, looking at both of them with regret. He knew they would worry about him. He didn't want them to. He wanted to assure them, to ease their minds. 

"If you someday... somehow learn to use to Apple... to control it, could you let us know? That you're safe," Leonardo replied, an unreadable expression over his face. 

"I would," Ezio replied with a hasty nod of his head. "Of course I would. The both of you have done more for me than I could ever........ Thank you." 

He smiled, remembering the day he was forcefully thrusted into this world. Having to adjust with two strangers he disgusted. Now he had nothing but love and respect for them. He had insulted them. He had tried to change them. He had even hurt Leonardo when he first met him. He had been slapped by his double. It all seems so distant now. He had changed so much as a person. So much so that he felt wrong at the very idea of judging someone based on whom they love. Before, it was easier to see the world with a high and mighty moral ground. It all felt so hypocritical now, given what he did as a profession. A man hateful of love but one who had no qualms about theft and murder. Now all he hoped for was that he could be like them. To have even a small sliver of the happiness they had in his own life. With his own best friend. He had truly learnt something meaningful from these two. About happiness. About friendship. And about Love. 

The Apple was glowing bright inside the otherwise dim room, placed in its box over Leonardo's work desk. It had been a week since they had reached Venezia. And to nobody's surprise they still had no idea how it worked. Leonardo had come to the same conclusions that he had last time in his own world. They had decided to just go for it. 

"You do not need to thank us for anything. We have the Apple safe with us now. I know exactly when Rodrigo would come to Venezia, expecting the Apple's arrival. And I'll be ready. He doesn't know that the Piece of Eden is missing. None of this would have been possible without you. You've already done more for me than I could ever thank you for," his double smiled warmly at him, the expression mirrored over his own face. 

"Kill that bastardo," Ezio replied. 

"You as well, if a little later than I plan to," his double smiled back. 

Wanting to make sure that there would be no regret in his mind regarding his actions, Ezio started, "I am sorry. With the way I've acted...." 

Leonardo was the first to shut him up. "You didn't know. You hadn't met anyone like us before. Your entire world has taught you to be disgusted by people like us. It doesn't matter. You saw something unnatural. Unfamiliar. And you acted the way you should have. The only way you could." 

"And like we've already told you, we don't care about what people might say about me and Leo. Sinners or not, we are happy. I love him. I don't care about what someone thinks. It's not like anyone knows about us anyway. Knows about me. I live in the shadows to serve the light. I'm not meant to have a normal life. At least this way I'll have no regrets in my life. Nothing that I would 

want for as long as I have Leo with me." Ezio saw his double entwine his fingers together with Leonardo's. Ezio only smiled at the gesture. 

"Come here." Leonardo pulled him into a warm embrace, just like always. Some things didn't change, no matter what world he was in. Ezio smiled into the hug as Leonardo patted his back. 

"Don't be an idiot. Tell Leonardo how you feel," his double smiled as he pulled away from Leonardo. 

"I will." Ezio nodded, smiling sheepishly. 

"And since you're still uncomfortable with the idea of two men being together so much, a parting gift....." Ezio frowned, not catching the meaning of his double's words before he felt a hand over his nape as he was slowly pulled into a soft kiss by his double. Instead of flinching as he had expected, he found himself leaning into the scarred lips. 

Much to his disappointment, however, the touch left him soon after, before he could properly make out and enjoy his double's lips. Even the chaste kiss had felt good, leaving Ezio puzzled and yet wanting. 

"What was that for?" Ezio asked, still dumbfounded. 

"To give you a glimpse. Of what it would be like with Leonardo. Also, I could not, in good conscience have denied my lover of his little fantasy of seeing the two of us together since we're lookalikes." his double smirked. 

"Ezio!!" Leonardo chastised his double, blushing a furious red with embarrassment as he playfully slapped his lover's arm who kept grinning. 

"Oh...." Ezio replied with a smile of his own at Leonardo's reaction. "Well in that case..." Ezio leaned in again to pull his double into another kiss, this time expecting the feel of another man against himself. The light feel of his double's stubble. The touch of his double's broad hand against his back. The strength of the sinew and muscle under his own fingers. Instinctively Ezio opened his lips to deepen their touch further, an insistent tongue finding its way inside his mouth tangling and teasing his own in the most delightful manner. 

Ezio found himself wanting for more as he pressed his entire body against his double's. Relishing the feeling of hard muscle against himself. Quickly however, his double pulled back again. Ezio looked around and saw Leonardo watching them both with glazed eyes, enraptured at the scene before him while his double just smirked at him with a smug grin. 

"Do the same with Leonardo when you get back." His double smiled softly. 

"It was good..." Ezio replied, unable to say much with a stupefied expression over his face. He had just kissed a man and he had liked it. More than... 

"I knew you would enjoy it. You're my double after all, if a little slower than me. At least that should give you an extra little bit of motivation to talk to Leonardo. Trust me. It's nothing compared to what it would feel like with Leonardo. With the man you love," his double replied. Ezio could only nod stupidly as the two looked at him with a knowing smile. 

"If I had known of this earlier the last few months could have turned out to be much more pleasurable. Although I don't think you would have liked sharing," Ezio replied once he gathered his wits together. 

"We would not have. I only did it to keep you from returning back to your own righteous self, burying your own happiness in the name of morality and sins," his double replied seriously. 

"You are too self confident for your own good," Ezio replied with an indulgent smile. 

"You would know," his double replied. 

"Be safe," Leonardo replied after a moment of silence. All three of them knew that the time had come. 

"You both as well," Ezio replied, moving his hands over to the artifact. 

"Arrivederci," both of them replied simultaneously, the light from the Apple starting to glow bright as he loudly replied the same, the artifact already beginning to react to the proximity of his touch. 

Just like the last time, he found himself being surrounded by the blinding energy, taking up and beginning to swallow everything around him. The two before him stood with a mild shock on their face as everything stopped. Captured into that very second. Slowly everything began to disappear under the Apple's intensity, as if the entire room was being captured into the grasp of a fierce energy. Even after closing his eyes to save himself from losing his sight forever the image did not go away, the emptiness trying to hollow him down from his very core. 

He could not.... He needed to be home. That was all that he had in his mind. Thinking of going back to the place where he belonged, he focused his mind. There were flashes beginning to form before him. Images surrounding him as the light slowly gave way to vague sceneries, different and all around him. He didn't know whether he had opened his eyes or not but he saw the image of Rodrigo being killed. On those docks where he had already met the man, when he first found out about the artifact. There were no voices or sounds, just mere glimpses to help him vaguely make out of what he was witnessing, like a ghost only meant to watch. 

But it was different. Not a memory of his own. He realised that it wasn't his but his double's blade as it pierced through the grandmaster's throat. Another image flashed before him and he saw his double return back, rejoicing with Leonardo. There was another one of them both, standing under the bells of Campanile di San Marco. But they weren't alone, surrounded by everyone else who had helped him over the years as he read his double's lips repeating the ancient words of their Creed before he moved forward to present his finger to accept the mark of their ancestry. 

Even through the vague images, Ezio could not help the contented smile that came over his face. He closed his eyes again. Their story was not his to see and all he could think of was his best friend. The sensations of everything coming alive once again as Leonardo's gentle smile drifted across his eyes. It got dark. So dark like he felt that his very existence was being erased. 

And suddenly he could feel things, air rushing down his throat as he gulped mouthfuls of it like a drowning man. He was thrashing when he felt hands beginning to restrain him into the darkness. But this was different. It didn't feel hollow anymore. The abyss that had him surrounded was gone. He heard gasps and murmurs as sounds found his way back to his ears after what felt like a lifetime. Slowly he opened his eyes. Taking in the image of the blue eyes staring into his own. 

And instantly... instantly he knew he was back home. Because it could only be his Leonardo's gaze that could elate and nerve him so at the same breath. He slowly took in the soft mattress underneath his body. Realising that he was in bed. He was in the comfort of his own room in Monteriggioni. 

Leonardo gave a huge sigh of relief from in front of him before similar sounds from beside him 

were heard even though Ezio's mind registered none of them. 

"Grazie a Dio. You're awake." It was Claudia's voice that he heard first. 

"Are you alright Ezio?" Leonardo's soft voice was what he focused on as his body was abandoned from the tight grip of the artist, who had been withholding him when he was thrashing on the bed. 

"No no. Lay back down," Leonardo quickly stated as he began to get his body back up. 

"Nipote!!" Mario came inside the room with his usual loud and booming presence taking over the atmosphere. 

"He just woke up," Claudia replied. And Ezio finally let himself sag back down before closing his eyes back for a brief moment to calm down. He was home. 

"What happened?" he slowly asked, throat feeling clogged as he opened his eyes back up and looked around the entire room rather than just his best friend. 

"What happened was that we thought you were dead," Mario replied taking a seat beside him on the bed beside Leonardo. 

"Why?" Ezio asked again. 

"You were unconscious for almost a week, Ezio," Leonardo answered, explaining why everyone was so anxious. 

"Just a week?" Ezio questioned and it got him a frown from his uncle and a puzzled look from his friend. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Claudia was the first to ask. 

"Nothing. I was joking," Ezio replied dryly, not wanting to have to explain himself and what he had witnessed right now. Maybe he would keep this secret to himself. He hadn't decided yet. All he knew was that he was back home. 

"Do you really think that it's time to joke right now Ezio?" his sister glared before he found himself being pulled into a fierce hug. "You had us worried. We just got mamma back. And then this," she whispered in his ear as Ezio quickly placed a small kiss to her cheek while still maintaing the embrace. 

"I am alright now. Don't worry," he loudly stated to everyone inside the room as he let his sister go. 

Slowly, he began to get up from the mattress, leaning himself against his head board as he saw both Leonardo and Claudia come closer to support him. "I feel alright. Trust me," he replied in response. 

His gaze fell onto the stacks of books, parchments and scattered lose pieces of paper all over his usually neat desk as well as the floor. He raised an eyebrow in response, already knowing who could have created such an image of his room. 

"Ahh... mi dispiace Ezio. I would have these cleaned up," Leonardo replied, following his gaze. 

"Stop it." Ezio quickly pulled Leonardo back down onto the bed when he tried to get up to gather the things up from his room. 

"You gave your poor friend here a heart attack when you used that maledetto Piece of Eden," 

Mario replied as he loudly patted Leonardo's shoulder who smiled awkwardly at the touch. 

"He hasn't left your side, cursing how it was all his fault, being responsible for your current situation," Claudia explained. 

"It was nothing. Just my own guilt," Leonardo replied, trying to act nonchalant even though Ezio could see just how worried he had been. Even when Ezio was injured because of his own faults Leonardo would abandon everything to take care of him until he was stable again. He could only imagine what his best friend might have gone through if he thought himself to be responsible for his situation. 

"It was the Apple. We had underestimated its powers," Ezio replied trying to ease his friend's mind. 

"It was eerie actually. Since no one could make out anything wrong with your body. You were in perfect condition and still you refused to wake up. It had us all bewildered. Not to mention worried. How would we cure something when nothing was wrong," Leonardo explained. 

"We are all just happy that you're well," Leonardo replied, giving a friendly pat on his side. The soft touch seemed to excite him. Ezio suddenly found himself feeling flushed at the knowledge of Leonardo being so worried about him. He knew he was blushing and could only hope that the others would take it as a sign of his present condition. He didn't know why he was reacting this way though. Leonardo had always looked out for him. This was hardly the first time when he had woken up to the presence of his best friend beside him at the time of his illness or injury. He was just seeing things from a different perspective for the first time. And it frustrated him even more when he couldn't make out whether Leonardo showed any similar signs. All he saw was that poised and friendly smile on his friend, simply glad to see that Ezio was fine but nothing that would indicate amorous feelings. 

"You should get some rest. You as well." Mario turned towards Leonardo who nodded his head. "I'll go make preparations for tonight." 

"I'll tell mamma that you're awake," Claudia said as she got up before walking out the door. 

"What preparations?" Ezio asked curiously. 

"Me and Machiavelli are going to leave for Forli tomorrow. Caterina has sent her consent to harbouring the Apple," Mario explained. 

"I should take my leave as well." Leonardo got up as well, realising that this was not a conversation that would interest him. He promised something about cleaning the room up later on once he came to check back on Ezio before leaving him alone with his uncle. 

"I was supposed to go." Ezio sat up straight to discuss the matter. 

"You are in no condition to travel right now," Mario contradicted. 

"No. I need to go. Please. I am fine zio. I feel fine," Ezio replied. 

"Are you sure. I have no problems but I don't want you to use the Apple again. In fact I don't want you to be near it either," Mario retorted. 

"No. I need to go. Make sure it is safe. You saw what it could do. I need to be there... in case something goes wrong. If the Templars find out. Per favore." As much as he wanted to rest and sort out his own feelings, Ezio knew he couldn't escape from his responsibilities. He wanted to have a clear mind when he finally talked to Leonardo. Without any distractions. 

"I would still accompany you," Mario replied, knowing that there was no way his nephew was going to let this go. 

"Si. Grazie," Ezio replied. 

"Don't think that I don't know exactly why you're so eager to go to meet the contessa," his uncle replied with a smirk. 

Every time before, he would have smiled at such a remark. This was the first time he had frowned, wanting nothing more than to get this done with before he could finally act on his feelings with Leonardo. 

"Are you alright Ezio?" his mother's presence brought him back from his thoughts as she came to check up on him. It still felt different, seeing his mother being herself rather than the shell of a woman she had transformed into. He remembered how his double had recounted of his mother's illness, having recovered much earlier than his own. 

"Si mamma. I feel fine," Ezio replied as his mother came up to sit next to him. 

"You're planning on leaving again." Ezio could feel the tiredness in her voice. And was afraid of what she might say, despite being an independent man capable of becoming a person's worst nightmare he still feared his mother like a young boy would. 

"Good. Your responsibilities are yours to bear." She smiled as she cupped his face with a soft palm, making Ezio lean instinctively into the touch. 

"Get some rest. We should as well. You had us all worried, Ezio. You can't be careless like this again. Especially with that thing." Ezio nodded like the devoted son he was. 

"Buonanotte, Ezio." Both Mario as well as Maria left him alone in his room. 

Watching them both leave made him suddenly feel overtaken by how his family would react if he tried to act on his feelings towards Leonardo. It was still a sin, even if he was at ease with the idea of committing it. All fears from before began to rise up again. Of Leonardo's rejection. His family's disgust. He would be removed if the other members of their Creed found out. He remembered the other Leonardo's words when he told him that his best friend would listen. But what of everyone else? How would he hide such a thing from his family? He had just got his mother back. What if she went back to shock? They would all be disappointed. 

Ezio wanted to hide himself away, back into the world where he would be accepted. The thoughts of what lay ahead were enough to drive any traces of sleep away from his mind.


	11. Chapter 11

"I have a name but not much else to go on," Ezio replied as he watched the contessa walk inside the bedchamber she had provided for him. He was lying in bed. The Apple was lost. Even after killing that bastardo. Ezio could still not believe that the monk had just walked over to take it from his grasp. 

"Si?" Caterina replied as the servant came inside, offering a glass of Lambrusco to the both of them. 

"Girolamo Savonarola," Ezio replied as he sipped. 

"Anything else?" Caterina enquired. 

"He is no longer here. Might be in Firenze," Ezio replied. 

"Ahh.... That is why Niccolò and Mario left last night. How is your wound?" the contessa asked again. 

He had to stay in Forli until he could recover enough to travel without agitating his body even further, having returned back to the cittadella last night after getting the monk's name. The search for the monk had already resulted in him tearing his stitches once because of his hasty decisions. He couldn't risk it again. Checco Orsi might have been dead but the wound was too deep for Ezio to ignore. He had been stupid, not having seen the knife hidden by the man. 

"It is healing. I am under your hospitality afterall, madonna." Ezio smiled kindly. 

The dottore had to redo the stitches for a second time last night when he returned. Mario had forbidden him from travelling further as him and Niccolò made their way towards Firenze. Hopefully they would have better luck than him. 

"Niccolò and Mario have already left. For that dannato thing I presume. You should get some rest for once, Ezio. That stronzo would not be able to hide for long." Caterina's colourful words made him smile. 

"I hope not. How are your children? I didn't have time to engage in social obligations last time," Ezio replied. 

"They are well. As is the city. Forli owes you its freedom, Ezio," the woman replied as she came closer to sit on the bed beside him. "As do I." She placed a hand over his wounded stomach, a sultry smile on her face. 

"There is nothing to owe, Caterina. You are an ally. You shall have our help whenever you may require it. The Creed is what holds us all together," Ezio replied, trying to use a diplomatic answer as well as feign obliviousness of her actions to get her to stop. 

"There are many ways I require you, Ezio." That hand began to go downwards, slow in its pace as Caterina leaned down to kiss him. 

"Contessa. I'm wounded," Ezio argued as the woman moved further down, her lips brushing against his. It had been a while. A few months now because of his travelling to the other world. And he tried to embrace the touch. Lips opening up as her hand began to pull at the strings of his breeches. 

"Don't worry. All you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy." Caterina smiled as her hand found its way inside, touching his soft member. 

Nodding, he closed his eyes. And the image of Leonardo doing the same to him came to his mind. His hands replacing the contessa's as a wave of guilt went through him making him squirm away from her touch. No... he needed to get back home. Needed to tell his friend. He couldn't imagine anyone else at that moment, even the beautiful Caterina Sforza above him proved to be inadequate to get a response of arousal from him. 

"Ahhhh......" Ezio groaned loudly, trying to look and sound painful as he arched his body away from her. She was an ally. One with an ego the size of Romagna. He couldn't just outright reject her advances. 

"Are you alright Ezio?" she straightened, looking worried. 

"I.. I will pull at my stitches again. Mi dispiace, Caterina," Ezio replied. 

"You do not want to either." She gave a small squeeze to his still soft member to prove her point. Her touch doing nothing to stir any want from within him. 

"Nothing like that. Just the pain I'm afraid," Ezio countered as she began to move herself away and Ezio suppressed the urge to sigh with relief. It wouldn't have been right. To deceive someone when his mind was so obviously occupied with another. 

"Don't tell me that the famed Assassino is afraid of a little bit of pain while a willing woman wishes to fuck him senseless. So? Who is she, Ezio?" Ezio furrowed his eyebrows with confusion. "The one who you would rather be with right now?" Caterina elaborated. 

"There is no one. I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Ezio replied as he began to hastily lace his breeches back. 

"If you say so," Caterina replied. "I truly should have done it when we first met. Took you to my bed when I had the chance." 

"I remember you having a husband," Ezio countered. Feeling even more desperate to go back home, or anywhere really just to end the discussion. 

"Like you would have cared." Caterina smirked and it did get a genuine smile from Ezio in return. 

"So? Who is she?" There it was again, her question. How was he to tell her? That he wanted a man? 

"I cannot indulge in revealing the name, I'm afraid." Ezio replied, not denying it since he knew that she wouldn't let the topic go. 

"An illicit affair then.... Alright I won't pry," she replied before she began to get up. 

"Grazie, madonna," Ezio replied with an obligatory smile, glad to know that she hadn't suspected anything. 

"Perhaps once you get bored of her. We could start one ourselves," the contessa replied with a smirk that he knew was just as sinful. 

"I don't think I'd get bored of this one, signora," Ezio replied, the words leaving his mouth without any thought. 

"Ah.. Well in that case you should rest, get better for her." Grabbing his hand in her own, the woman continued, "And I wasn't just saying those things to seduce you. Forli is in your debt. As am I. If there's any help you may require, don't hesitate to ask." 

"I would remember that. Grazie again for your hospitality, contessa." Ezio slightly bowed his head. 

"Non e niente," the woman replied before leaving him alone with his thoughts. 

It wasn't until three weeks later that he came back home. Even then, the dottore had been displeased about his decision. He was barely healed enough to make the way to Monteriggioni safely. His stitches were still tugging, a bit of blood seeping into the bandage that he would have to take care of once he reached the villa. But he couldn't bear to stay in Forli for a day longer. His anxiety about the loss of Apple was only matched by his internal conflicts about the feelings he now harboured towards his best friend. 

In the other world, it had been easier, to embrace his feelings when he saw two people so obviously and blatantly in love with each other that they didn't care about other people's opinion. Now however, all the guilt was rushing back. But Ezio was nothing if not reckless. The other Leonardo had assured him that his friend would listen. And after more than ten years of friendship he deserved at least that much. He would be fine even with tolerance. Anything really. But he needed to tell Leonardo. 

Waking up from his goose feather bed with a groggy yawn, Ezio ordered one of the servants to prepare a bath for him while he went for a brief walk outside. It was important to keep oneself flexible and in motion, even when wounded, something that Ezio like to remind himself. Not to mention it gave him an opportunity to check up on the cittadini. See if they need any help. Or if there were any adjustments to be made. Things that required aid from the lords of their quaint city. 

When he crossed the main square, one which would be bustling with people every sabato due to their weekly market, he saw Leonardo's large double storey house that had been provided to him by his family. The workshop was downstairs while the upper floor was the artist's private quarters. Leonardo's assistants had their room at the other end of the compound at the back. It felt so familiar, to the workshop in Firenze and then in Venezia. Ezio smiled at the many memories of him barging in at his friend's workshop at the most inappropriate times, mostly coming and going in the middle of the night until his friend grew tired of his antics and specifically reserved the guest room for his sake. None of that would happen now and it brought forth a deep sense of sadness from within him. 

He had hoped to come back later, once he was done with his chores. But the nervousness that he simply could not get rid of for the life of him made him knock on the door of his best friend. He was ready. That's what he kept telling himself even when there was no answer after five or so minutes. Using his hidden blades to open the door himself, and making a small note to ask Leonardo for a key again just like in Venezia, he was greeted with an all too familiar sight before him. 

Leonardo was slumped down over his desk, hair in a messy array around him as he slept restlessly. Ezio smiled at how he knew his friend would be complaining about his back as well as his old age, which in reality was an utter lie, once he woke up a few hours later. He would have woken his friend up. He had even once tried to do so, asking Leonardo to go upstairs to have a proper sleep in his own bed for once. Instead he found that the man hastily got back to his work. As if he was never asleep. Never again did Ezio try waking his best friend up from his nap. 

An unfamiliar thought crossed Ezio's mind as he wondered whether Leonardo would mind it if he carried him upstairs to his bed. How would Leonardo feel, wrapped up in his arms? No. Ezio had to focus. He couldn't let such things cloud his judgement. A single wrong move would ruin everything. 

He didn't know how long he was standing there, watching that beautiful.. si truly beautiful face as the man slept. Leonardo always looked so different when he slept. He finally looked calm. Ezio had always thought it unfair that his friend looked better than him. Much more handsome than him. A face that could easily capture whosoever's attention it pleased. Even though he was seven years his elder. He had always thought that Leonardo's looks were wasted over a man who had no sexual or romantic desires. But now he felt like he would be the luckiest man alive to have a lover like him. Beautiful in every sense of the word. But those were all fantasies. For now. 

"Uhh.." He heard Leonardo begin to stir as his friend slowly started to wake up. Blinking his eyes a couple of times at his direction, Leonardo slightly flinched back with a startle before recognising Ezio in his sleep addled mind. 

"Buongiorno, Ezio." Leonardo had a lazy smile on his face which changed into a grimace when he straightened up. Just like Ezio had anticipated, Leonardo cursed a few times about having fallen asleep while working once again, mumbling how his back was getting worse. 

"Buongiorno, Leo. Although I don't think you're done sleeping yet," Ezio replied, getting a loud yawn in return that made him laugh before he found a spare chair to sit on, a tiresome task in itself considering how cluttered the workshop was even though only a month had passed since Leonardo began inhabiting it. 

"You're back from Forli?" Leonardo asked lazily as he got up to stretch his stiff limbs. Ezio found his eyes taking in the beautiful sight, Leonardo's muscular body in display since he was sans his usual bulky clothes, wearing some loose brown breeches and a pale paint stained oversized shirt instead. Even though he couldn't see all of what he craved for right now, he knew that Leonardo was a fine man underneath all those ill fitted clothes. Not broad or heavy like his own stature but defined and muscled nonetheless from working day and night on his inventions. 

"When did you arrive?" Leonardo stood in front of him and Ezio realised that he forgot to answer his friend. 

With an audible gulp to get his head straight, the assassin answered, "Si. I came in last night." 

"And your wounds. Are you alright now? I could have a look if you wish," Leonardo offered, removing a few pages from another chair before taking a seat as well. 

"They are fine," Ezio replied with an emotionless tone. 

"So you're bleeding?" Leonardo shook his head in disbelief as he began to walk towards the back room. 

"How can you always tell?" Ezio asked with a disbelieving expression of his own. 

"I can tell when you lie." Ezio could hear the satisfied grin in his friend's tone even though he was in the other room. It felt right. For the first time in a long time now it felt natural. This was what he was used to. This was the thing he cherished so much about his friendship with Leonardo. Si. He could do this. Leonardo would never hate him. Their friendship was stronger than that. 

"How?" Ezio asked when his friend returned with the familiar tray of medical supplies, another thing that was just reserved for Ezio. 

"Nice try. I'm not telling you." Leonardo smiled. "Now, where are you hurt?" the artist demanded with a sharp gaze. 

"My abdomen. Checco Orsi had a knife hidden in his......" Ezio replied and moaned unconsciously when he felt Leonardo's long fingers lift his shirt, the tips barely grazing his skin as the slight touch filled him up with arousal. What was wrong with him? They had done his innumerable times before. Why was he acting like this? 

"Are you alright?" Leonardo asked with concern at his reaction. 

"Just sore," Ezio replied and instantly knew he was caught again. 

Instead of calling him out though, Leonardo simply furrowed his eyebrows before focusing his gaze to the bandage with the dark stain of blood. The touch still seemed to fill him up with liquid want but Ezio steeled himself to act normally. 

"You pulled your stitches, didn't you?" Leonardo looked at him angrily, getting a small sheepish smile in return. 

Not amused, his friend continued, "One of these days you'd be dead in a ditch somewhere and the cause would not be a Templar blade but your own stupid recklessness. Do you have absolutely no idea how many people care for you? Your family. Friends. You're part of the Creed now. You can't keep acting like this." 

"I'm sorry, Leo," Ezio replied sincerely, raising his eyes to meet his friends to let Leonardo know that he wasn't lying. 

"You should be," Leonardo replied, making no attempts in being the bigger man and forgiving him as he began to slowly unwrap the wound to see how much Ezio had wounded himself. 

"You even had Caterina. One would think that at least she would be able to make you stay." Leonardo finally smiled, trying to lighten the mood after his scolding. 

"What could she do?" Ezio asked, trying to focus on anything but his friend's firm warm touch over his stomach. He would only hope that the bulge in his breeches wasn't too apparent. 

"You're truly shameless, Ezio. Even mentioning her is enough to make you horny." Leonardo smiled, shaking his head amusedly. Ezio opened his mouth to explain that she had nothing to do with his current condition. But he shut his mouth back up at the thought of having to explain the actual reason for his arousal. 

"For your kind information, I did nothing of that sort," Ezio snorted. 

"What?" Leonardo exclaimed, genuinely shocked as he spilled a bit of the water he was using to clean up the wound. "Why not? After biting my ears off about the many.... many things that you wished to do to her while I pointedly ignored you for the entire ride from Forli to Venezia, you're telling me that you didn't bed her. After spending almost an entire month with her." 

"My tastes have changed," Ezio replied. 

Leonardo only stared closely at him. Eyes sharp and focused like he was trying to solve a complicated problem. 

"You probably found someone prettier," Leonardo finally replied, satisfied with the conclusion he had reached. Ezio stayed silent, bending his head down to look at Leonardo restitching the two that had torn during his travels rather than reply to the question. 

"Or did the contessa reject your advances?" Leonardo questioned again at the silence. 

"Nothing like that. In fact she was very eager," Ezio replied, not attempting to lie again since his friend would know. "I don't want to talk about it." 

"As you wish, mio amico," Leonardo replied as he used a scalpel to cut the horse hair, finished with the stitches. "Must have been something truly embarrassing if you feel like hiding it even from me," Leonardo added with a mischievous smile. 

"Grazie, Leo." Ezio replied once Leonardo was done wrapping him back up using some clean cotton. 

"Next time, you should try and take care of yourself. As a thanks to me," Leonardo replied with a reassuring squeeze to his arm. 

"And miss out on you doting on me?" Ezio murmured to himself. 

"What?" Leonardo asked unable to hear Ezio's little words to himself. 

"Nothing," Ezio replied quickly. 

"Are you free right now?" Leonardo asked what Ezio had intended to ask as he came back after putting the medical supplies away. Seems like they both had something important to discuss with the other. 

"Si. Che cos'è?" Ezio replied. 

"I didn't want to ask you the day that you woke up since you looked like you were still recovering but what exactly happened when you used the Piece of Eden?" Leonardo asked, as he sat before him once again. All his focus was on Ezio. 

"What happened here? While I was sick. What did you see?" Ezio questioned instead, still unsure of whether he wished to reveal exactly what had happened. It wasn't a matter of trust. He trusted Leonardo with his life. But if he started telling everything he could completely ruin his chances of talking about his feelings first. 

"It was the same as in Venezia. Scribblings covered the entire room but then the light faded away and you dropped unconsciously onto the floor. Everything stopped, despite the fact that you still had the artifact clasped in your grip. I don't think it's just your touch or body but your mind and 

soul as well that controls it," Leonardo explained with a fascinated expression as if still reliving the moment when Ezio had used the Apple. 

"And then?" Ezio enquired, almost a little hurt to find out that his best friend was more interested in the artifact than he was in his safety and well being. 

"I was by your side in an instant, pulling that thing away before trying to get you to wake up. You weren't responding so I shouted for the servants. By the time they came I had placed you up on my bed, still trying to shake you awake. I used water, I shouted in your ears, blew in your ear... nothing. But you were breathing. I knew your heart was beating. I felt it," The thought of Leonardo feeling Ezio's heartbeat in his own bed made the assassin moan unconsciously, heart fluttering again. 

"You were perfectly fine but yet you weren't responding. There was absolutely nothing wrong with you. Physically at least. I still don't understand how such a thing was possible. I'm truly sorry, Ezio. I shouldn't have asked you to use it when we know of the dangers it possesses," Leonardo said regretfully, leaning closer to clasp Ezio's hand to show how much he meant it. 

"I told you it wasn't any of our fault," before his friend could interrupt him to convince him otherwise, Ezio tightened his grip on their clasped hands to stop him. "it doesn't matter what happened. I'm perfectly fine. I would start to get angry though if you don't stop apologising." 

"You don't know. We were all pretty scared. I'm just...... I'm glad that you're back to us, mio amico," Leonardo replied and the intensity of the emotions on Leonardo's face made Ezio's heart constrict with guilt. He had no idea how worried all of them might have been while he was there in the other world, oblivious to their pain. He could only imagine how Leonardo might have felt, to think that he was the cause of his death. 

"What did you see? Was it all black? Or could you feel the Apple, read the strange images like I could," Leonardo asked with dread, wondering if that thing was somehow able affect his best friend. 

"I saw many things." Ezio saw Leonardo's eyes go wide, curiosity making them sparkle, so much so that it would have made him uncomfortable if Ezio was not so used to Leonardo's erratic bouts of inspiration. 

"But there was something else that I wished to talk to you about first." Leonardo kept staring before blinking abruptly when he realised what Ezio had said. 

"Of course. What is it Ezio?" Leonardo replied. 

"Are you free right now? I wish to have your complete attention," Ezio replied, knowing that they would go through everything together. 

"You know me... I always have things to do and I'm always looking for far more interesting things to work on." Leonardo shrugged his shoulders uncaringly. "If it's something serious though then I think we should go upstairs, Salaì may not wake up this early but Saverio might. They won't disturb us if we're upstairs." 

"Si. Let's go." Ezio steeled himself, feeling like he was ten years old again, awaiting for his mother and father to decide on how to punish him after having found out that he had beaten someone up again. 


	12. Chapter 12

"So? What is it Ezio?" Leonardo asked worriedly as he sat on the bed, pulling the chair from his desk for Ezio. Instead of taking it though, the assassin took a seat next to him on the bed, maintaining an appropriate distance between them. 

"What do you..... How do you feel about something that is unnatural. Something terrible, a sin?" Ezio asked, ready to be faced with a look of disgust on his best friend's face. 

Leonardo narrowed his eyes in suspicion, actually pondering on the question or just wondering what was wrong with his friend, Ezio couldn't tell. 

"I can't say that I've thought much about these things," Leonardo replied, trying to sound nonchalant but Ezio could tell he was still anxious to know what this was about. 

"I know that you are extremely religious, something that I've left behind long ago after the death of my father and brothers. But.... All I expect is for you to listen. To just let me speak. To give me a chance.." Ezio stopped, thinking of how to speak of such things. 

"Ezio, you're rambling. Truly you have me worried now. Of course I'll listen. As for religion, I'm not anything. Not a believer nor an atheist," Leonardo replied, smiling as he moved closer to reassure his friend. 

"But you go to church. And you draw angels. Madonna," Ezio replied with skepticism, wondering if his friend was just saying it to make him speak. 

With a shrug of his shoulders, Leonardo replied, "Church is a place for socialising. Many of my patrons visit, so I do as well. Frankly I've never had much time to dedicate to a higher power. In case you haven't noticed, I've never been regular." 

"So you don't care about God?" Ezio asked, still in shock. 

"No. I don't. He can exist. Or cannot. But at the very least I know that I'm not that significant in this world for me to have to worry about higher powers," Leonardo replied, uncaring of his best friend's reaction. 

"And what about sins? Surely you care about those," Ezio enquired. 

"Si. I mean I follow as much as it's possible. But it isn't blind faith. Like I said, I don't have much time for these things," Leonardo said again and when Ezio just kept staring at him to decide how to go about this next, he added, "Is this about the Creed? I believe in the teachings. I know that being formally inducted as an assassin is different but it would never affect our friendship." Leonardo rubbed Ezio's shoulder comfortingly. 

"That is not what I was talking of," Ezio quickly replied. "I know that you would never condemn me for my beliefs." 

"Then what is it?" Leonardo coaxed. 

"When I held the Apple. I saw....... I found something out. How do you feel about men being in love? About sodomy?" Ezio asked, obviously nervous about finding out just how far Leonardo was willing to go in terms of morality. 

Just as he had expected, the artist flinched, moving away from Ezio to maintain an arm's worth of distance between them. "I was right then. The Apple shows knowledge. Past of men. Future unveilings. I never intended you to have found out. And I can understand if you want to discontinue my work here." 

He saw Leonardo get further away as he looked confusedly. "What?" 

"I know it's useless to explain. I know how it will go. But I wish to remind you that I've never judged you and so I deserve the same. At least we're both civil this time." Ezio saw Leonardo unconsciously bringing his hand up to rub his neck, gulping down with fear, leaving Ezio even more confused. 

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Leonardo," Ezio replied with narrowed eyes. 

"You didn't see both events then. Tell me what did you witness?" Leonardo replied, speaking as if he had confessed to something worth being hanged for. 

Shaking his head, Ezio reasoned to himself that knowing what Leonardo spoke of was more important than his own newly found sexual preferences. So he coaxed on, "What events do you speak of. I'm afraid I know nothing about these." 

"At least don't treat me like a fool, Ezio. You want a confession, si? So that you can finally decide that you hate me," Leonardo replied angrily. 

"Confession about what? What are you...." Ezio tried to hold Leonardo's hand but the man quickly retracted himself from the touch. 

"That is why you're acting so different since you woke up, aren't you? I can only imagine how difficult it might have been for you when I stitched you up earlier. To have tolerated my touch?" 

"Tolerated?" Ezio questioned. This was all going wrong. Why Ezio have tolerated his touch. The touch of the man he loved... the one he wished would keep touching him. 

"Since you don't have the courage to ask me outright then I'll help you out. Put you out of your misery. Si, è vero. What you saw was true. I am a sodomite." Leonardo stood up, probably to leave the assassin alone, deciding that he was done speaking. 

"What???" Ezio uttered from behind but the man was already out of the door by the time his mind registered the words. 

"Leonardo... Leo wait, wait a minute..... just stop." Ezio was instantly in front of the artist, trying to get his friend from leaving. 

"Why bother, Ezio? I already know what you'll say," Leonardo replied, unable to meet his eyes as he stared down onto the floor. 

" How do you know what I'll say?" Ezio asked stubbornly. 

"So you witnessed the trial," Leonardo sighed, trying to move away, go anywhere where he wouldn't have to explain himself to his best friend. 

"Look. I still don't understand what you're talking about." Ezio gripped Leonardo's wrist in his palm, confused when his best friend flinched away, his eyes locked on Ezio's hidden blade rather than his face. 

He slowly placed his hands on both of Leonardo's shoulders as he replied, "I don't understand anything. And I'll never hate you for anything. Anything. Let's go inside. I promise that I won't make you leave. In fact you'll find me....." 

"Find you what?" Leonardo questioned as his eyes snapped up, a mixture of fear, shame and anger in them. Ezio never wanted his best friend to look like that again. 

"You'll find that I'm similar." Ezio gulped down, he had to speak. He couldn't let Leonardo think otherwise. "I think that I may be a sodomite as well. That was what I wished to say." 

He saw a wave of hope go through Leonardo's face, before a disbelieving expression settled over his face. "You're lying. I can't.... I've already told you. Is this one of the ways you torture your targets, Ezio. I deserve better." 

"What? No no.... Just. Let us go inside. And we'll talk. Clear everything." Ezio saw Leonardo's eyes lock onto his blades again before seeing his eyes. 

"You're not lying," Leonardo stated before nodding and going into the room, looking like a hostage in his own house. 

After the two of them sat onto the bed, Leonardo on the far corner, staying as far away as he can from his best friend, Ezio finally started, asking with a calm expression, "Which two incidents did you speak of?" 

"My trial. And when you last found out that I was a sodomite," Leonardo carefully replied, eyes flicking onto his hidden blade even when Ezio barely moved his hand. 

Not realising what was wrong, but needing to reassure his friend anyway, Ezio carefully removed the buckles from both his bracers, first the left followed by the right before carefully sliding them over to his best friend. "They're your creations. Being afraid of them is the last emotion that you should feel. The first time I'd used them was to save your life. There is no one else I trust more than you, Leo," Ezio replied. Unlike what he had expected, it didn't feel wrong to have taken them off. He didn't feel vulnerable, instead he felt safe nonetheless. 

"You want to know about the two incidents I assume," Leonardo replied, focusing on him with a little less fear in his eyes now. 

"If you want to share," Ezio replied calmly. 

"A few months before I met you, I was trialed for sodomy. And no, they weren't mere accusations or a plan to ruin my name. Back then I didn't have a name to ruin. It was true. Me and three others used a prostitute. I was stupid then, acting without thinking of the consequences. The charges were dismissed because each of us had higher connections," Leonardo stopped, reading Ezio's expressions. 

"I thought you were celibate," Ezio simply blurted out, mind still processing this newly acquired information. 

"A rouse to prevent suspicions. I was foolish once but no more, I have never done anything such heedless again," Leonardo replied obediently, as if he was on a trial again. 

"So you don't have sex anymore? After the incident? You chose celibacy?" Ezio enquired again, wanting to know if there was any even any point left about revealing his feelings. 

"Of course I have sex. But it's much more discreet. Only on my own terms. I can't have anyone 

find out. I hadn't exactly counted for ancient artifacts though," Leonardo added with a tired smile. 

"And the second incident?" Ezio asked again. 

"When you found out," Leonardo replied, looking out of the window to not have to see his friend's face. 

"You're lying. I never knew. Not until a few minutes ago," Ezio replied. He didn't switch to his other vision to test whether his friend was lying. He trusted Leonardo would tell him on his own. 

"I'm not. We were both very drunk. It was after the time when you couldn't stop Carlo Grimaldi." 

Ezio remembered. After the doge's death he didn't leave Leonardo's bottega for almost two months, when he was declared the most wanted man in all of repubblica. Him and Leonardo would usually spend the evenings in either his own or inside Leonardo's room, the artist bringing his work upstairs to keep him company. 

"What happened?" Ezio asked eagerly. 

"We were both drunk. Me less so than you. You were angry at everyone blaming you for the chaos in the city, remember?" Leonardo asked. That had been a hopeless time for him. He felt like a coward, inept at doing his job. Antonio had blamed him as well for his shortcomings. The citizens were praying to see him dead. 

At his nod, Leonardo continued, "Frankly I don't remember much either. Only that I had somehow told you that I liked men. And that I had your blade up against my throat as you told me how you disgusted me. That men like me deserved to burn in hell. You even spit on me. Speaking of eternal damnation. I was able to get you off of me before you could slice my throat in your disgust...." At Ezio's horrified expression, Leonardo quickly added, "Don't worry. You were only threatening me. Letting your opinions be known. I shouted as well. That was what lead you to pin me to the wall, with the blade pressed on me. We were both angry and swearing. I went to my own room. When I woke up I thought that I would find you hating me. Or worse, that I'd find out that you have left. But it turned out that you didn't remember any of it." 

"Leonardo I'm sorry." Instantly the artist had his arms full of his best friend, hugging him tightly. Ezio had not even thought about his actions. About how it felt to hold Leonardo so close to himself. He just wanted to let his best friend know that he had changed. That it didn't matter. How could he have threatened the one person who had always safeguarded him? The one person who had never judged him. He was a selfish pezzo di merda. 

"I can only apologise. Why didn't you throw me out of your home the very next day? Why are you always there to forgive me and tolerate me even when I'm obviously not there for you?" Ezio uttered as he pulled away. 

Leonardo was shocked at the assassin's outburst. Clearly he had expected him to hate him now that he found out the truth. With an unbelieving expression, the artist replied, "I can't do that. Not for you having beliefs and values. What person would tolerate a sodomite for a best friend? I... I was only glad that you didn't remember. And I made sure that you didn't find out ever again. Your friendship means a lot to me." 

"I am a stronzo." Ezio got up as he began to pace around the room. "I threatened my own best friend. Me, a murderer. I make a living off of the blood of others. And I threatened my own best friend, judging you. I don't deserve you, Leo." 

"It's alright, Ezio. Calm down," Leonardo replied as he slumped against the headboard, rubbing his forehead to make sense of the bizarre turn of events, apparently relieved to know that he wouldn't lose his friend. 

"I don't understand how you've changed so much. I know that the vino loosened your restraints but the disgust in your eyes was real," Leonardo asked as he watched his friend move back and forth inside the room, chastising himself incoherently. 

"I told you. I think I may be attracted to men as well," Ezio answered. 

"You were just saying it to make me confess," Leonardo replied with a disbelieving nod of his head that his friend was still pretending. 

"I was not," Ezio replied stubbornly as he sat on the bed again. 

"What changed?" Leonardo asked with furrowed eyes. 

"When I held the Apple, I was transported to another world. And I met another version of myself. Yours as well. And they were both lovers. They made me realise how much I love you. Watching them, being with them for months... I knew that I loved you. It took some time. I couldn't accept myself. Or these feelings. I even tried to make them stop but they couldn't care less about my opinion. I told myself that it was because I was disgusted by them. Because it was unnatural. When in reality I craved for what they had," Ezio replied, looking for love, hope, acceptance, anything on his best friend's face. 

"You're being delusional, Ezio," Leonardo stated firmly, making him frown in return. 

"I'm not lying. I have been there. To another place," Ezio pleaded. 

"I have no doubt of the Apple's abilities. I'm sure that you did go where you claim to. But you're being delusional about our relations. Labelling our friendship as something it isn't." 

"What do you mean?" Ezio snapped. 

"They were different people. Have you even tried to have sex with a man? Or are you just suddenly so sure of yourself to claim that you're in love," Leonardo replied calmly, unperturbed by Ezio's reaction. 

"I know what I feel," Ezio shot back. "You may be smart but don't tell me how I feel, Leo." 

"I can assure you that reality is quite different than whatever little fantasies you're harbouring in your head. I know you better than anyone else," Leonardo countered. 

"I know exactly what it's like," Ezio replied, meeting his stare. 

"They included you? You? The one that didn't even spare his best friend when he found out?" Leonardo scoffed. 

"No. But I watched. Once. And I liked what I saw. Wanted to do the same with you." Ezio stopped, suddenly realising what he had uttered. He didn't want to submit. Not like he had witnessed his double do. He had succumbed once, in one of his fantasies, touching that area and trying to insert a finger. But it hurt. So much. 

"Well watching and wanting are two different things. Frankly, I know that you'll jump out of the balcony if you found out about the things I've done. The things I like," Leonardo replied with a 

snide reaction. 

"Half an hour ago I thought you were celibate. Trust me I am shocked anyway," Ezio replied. Moving closer to sit near his best friend and feeling sure about himself. "I love you. I know what I want. I might not have been at ease with it earlier. I still have... apprehensions. Frankly, there are times when all I want is to have you and there are others when I hate myself for it. But I know this much... I love you. As a friend. A brother. A lover. As whatever. I can't name it. But there is no one I trust more than you. I don't need another world to know this. I have always loved you. Before it was like a brother, now I want to try other things with you." 

Leaning closer to draw circles on Leonardo's hand, Ezio continued, "Things that are considered sinful. Things that should disgust me. Things that I don't want anyone else to find out about. That I wouldn't do with anyone else. I might not like men Leo and I might not have had sex with men. But I want to try everything with you. All of it. Feel you as close as I can to myself. Perhaps I'm not a sodomite. But I do love a man. That much I'm sure." 

He felt Leonardo's hand cup his face, the one that wasn't in his grip. It made him look up, lifted his head away to look at Leonardo. "I do not love you, Ezio." 

All hope left his body at once as the assassin retracted his fingers from playing with his best friend's hand. 

"I still remember that look of disgust when you had your blade against me. When you threatened my life. I admit that I had thought you as attractive before that night. In fact I wasn't thinking clearly that night. I tried to kiss you and that's why you reacted the way you did. I shouldn't have. Should have known better than to get that drunk with you. I knew you liked women. In fact I know you still do. You can't leave them alone. And I trust you with my life. With myself. But not with my heart. You've never stayed long with a lover. And we don't have a relation where you can simply forget my name. I don't like sharing....." 

Ezio cut his friend off "You're an idiot, Leo. You're supposed to be the genius. I didn't say that I only want to bend you over a table and then go back to the way it was the day after. I said that I love you. I've never been unfaithful. The woman always knew that I was only looking for a single night's pleasure. I never cheated or betrayed anyone. They know what they'll get from me. I make sure of it. And I would never go to anyone if we were together. Sex or not. Even if I don't end up liking sodomy. I wouldn't betray you. Not unless you stopped loving me. I promise." Ezio held Leonardo's hands to make him believe. 

"You didn't let me finish," Leonardo started again before Ezio nodded. "I don't love you. I had been attracted to you. I know you'd be faithful. But I saw the disgust in your eyes that night. You looked at me in a way I've never been looked at before. In a way I never want to be looked at again. I don't trust you to be able to have sex with you. Neither of us would be able to return back from it. I have not found you attractive after that night. Not after hearing what you think of people like me. I'm sorry Ezio. I would never betray your friendship but I cannot love you. Not without seeing and reliving that night everyday." 

"We were drunk. I was stupid. I wouldn't have done it if I was in my right mind," Ezio pleaded again. 

"No. It was because you were drunk that I found out how you truly felt. That I could tell you about my own feelings and get to know your reaction. I'm sorry. I think it's best if you leave and we'll try and somehow get past this," Leonardo stated. 

Ezio nodded and was beginning to get up. But he didn't. This could not be how it ended. He had 

been a fool for long enough now. Oblivious to his best friend's feelings. He was going to do it again. Believed Leonardo's words even though he knew he was lying. He could see it in his best friend. He hurt Leonardo. And Leonardo didn't trust him to not get hurt a second time. He had done it unknowingly. But still, he hurt him. And god knows how long his friend had been living like this. Knowing and thinking that Ezio would disgust him if he found out. Having to lie to him. With firm determination he made up his mind. 

"No," Ezio stated instead of leaving. 

"What?" 


	13. Chapter 13

"No." 

"What?" Leonardo asked, unable to understand. 

"No. You found me attractive, si? Do you love me Leo? Not did, do?" Ezio asked with determination. 

"You're my closest friend. My very best. There is no one I trust more than you," Leonardo replied, watching Ezio to see try and predict what he would say next. 

"I didn't ask that. I already know all this. Do you love me?" Ezio asked again. 

"No," Leonardo replied regretfully. 

Taking a deep breath and steeling his nerves, Ezio asked again, "Do you love anyone else?" 

"No," Leonardo replied again. 

"One last question. You do know that I know you just as well as you know me, si? I can tell when you lie. I love you. Whatever hurt you're trying to avoid, to protect yourself... I promise that it won't happen. Per favore. I can see it in your eyes. You're lying." Ezio placed one of the artist's hand over his chest, right above his heart while the other over his crotch to let Leonardo feel the effect Leonardo's mere presence had on his body. "I love you." 

He heard a loud growl from deep within his best friend's throat before his lips were claimed with ferocity, his body being forcefully pushed into the mattress as Leonardo straddled his hips. 

"You ruin me, Ezio," Leonardo murmered above him, so close that he felt Leonardo's chapped dry lips move against his own, feeling the words as his hands were pinned above his head into the mattress. 

"Why couldn't you have realised this before? Seen how much I wanted you? Why did you have to be so righteous? I would have been fine with acceptance as well but you disgusted me," Leonardo replied between nips and bites of his lower lip, as his hand removed Ezio's cock from its confines. 

"Tell me how you felt about me? All this time," Ezio demanded before groaning out as his cock was taken between masterful fingers. Ezio had never shied away from getting a boost of his ego afterall. 

When Leonardo brought his hand up to his mouth to spit on it and add some lubrication, Ezio once again found his voice. "Tell me all the things that you want to do to me. The things that should supposedly disturb me. Disgust me. Tell me and I'll prove you wrong one by one. Everyday." 

"Mhfff...." Ezio was shut off as demanding lips met his once again. That slippery warm hand surrounding him better than any woman had before. 

"I hate you. You want to know if I love you anymore? I don't.... I don't want to. I've stopped when I heard the things you felt about me when I confessed. But to use you. To fuck you like this. I would never get tired of it. Never stop wanting you like this." Leonardo bit Ezio's ear and the assassin couldn't help the desperate sigh in return. 


End file.
